Italian Juvenile Justice: Tolerance, Leniency or Indulgence?
Abstract
This paper offers a critique and further development of points made in Scalia’s account of Italian juvenile justice as a ‘lesson in tolerance’, published in an earlier issue of the journal. It discusses tolerance as a value and as a fact, the supposed sources of tolerance, and the stages at which tolerance can be displayed. It then re-examines quantitative and qualitative evidence of tolerance in Italy, paying special attention to comparing like with like, and considers the relevance of the wider conditions that may help shape Italian patterns of tolerance. It concludes with some brief cautions about how far lessons can be drawn from Italian practice.