Judicial sentencing dispositions : the Cottonera area against the rest of Malta

Abstract

This research study investigated the notion that judicial disparity exists in part when magistrates come to hand down sentences to offenders coming from the Cottonera area. Furthermore the study investigated whether the Cottonera area is a criminogenic area or does chronic offenders are responsible for a large number of crimes which are registered by offenders hailing from Cottonera. Results confirmed that in fact, upon an overall average of crimes committed, irrespective of what type of crime, there exists a disparity in sentencing Cottonera residents. It was also established that the more the punishments are getting harsher, the more frequently they are delivered in confront of Cottonera residents and that chronic offenders, are responsible for a large number of crimes. Statistics show that the conditional discharge sentence is the most preferred punishment ordered by the judiciary and that people from Cottonera area are subject to a large number of theft offences committed which gives an indication to the sociological problems that surround this area.