Classical School of Criminology and Its Application in the Sri Lankan Criminal Justice System

Abstract

Classical school of criminology tries to explain the crime causation and the methods adopted to control them in their own rationalization. It developed as a separate school of though in the 17th and 18th century which rejected the somewhat barbaric methods used under the pre-classical era which was heavily influenced by the demonological thought and the classical school changed this idealism with the rational choice theory which advocates that humans as rational beings have free will to decide on their actions or omissions. This article is written with a Sri Lankan perspective as to how the ideas of classical school of criminology has found its place in the administration of the criminal justice system in the country. When one considers the development of the criminal laws in Sri Lanka, it is solely based on the English common law principles and developed through the statutes. This article focuses on the Sri Lankan criminal justice system and how it has incorporated some of the ideas as advanced under the classical school of criminology.