Life Imprisonment and Human Rights

In many jurisdictions today life imprisonment is the most severe penalty that can be imposed. Despite this it is a relatively under-researched form of punishment and no meaningful attempt has been made to understand its full human rights implications. This important collection fills that gap by addressing these two key questions: what is life imprisonment and what human rights are relevant to it? These questions are explored from the perspective of a range of jurisdictions in essays that draw on both empirical and doctrinal research. Under the editorship of two leading scholars in the field this innovative and important work will be a landmark publication in the field of penal studies and human rights.