◆Topic 3: Will petty criminals get light punishment?　　Questions for Reference:　　1. A new prosecution guideline was recently released: people convicted of petty crimes may get light punishment if they are minors, the elderly people, and people who have slightly breached the law because of poverty. What do you think of this new law?　　2. This new law is said to be a humane practice and it will help them put their lives back in order and better serve their families. Do you think it can achieve its end?　　3. Some people think that if petty crimes are not punished in a timely way, more serious consequences will follow. What do you think of this argument?

【参考答案】<br> My name is…My registration number is…My topic is: Will petty criminals get light punishment?<br> A new prosecution guideline was recently released. It says that if the petty criminals are minors, old or very poor, they may get light punishment. The public hold different attitudes towards this guideline.<br> Some people think that the regulation violates the principle that “everyone is equal before the law”. It also breaches the legal principle that citizens’ property is inviolable. But more people, me included, think that the new guideline represents the combination of leniency and severity, and it helps to promote social harmony. Although China is now richer than before, the gap between the rich and the poor is widening. Therefore, social conflicts may arise due to the widening of such gaps and there is the possibility for those who lack basic social security to violate laws for survival. As a way to tackle these problems, the judicial system surely needs to do something for the disadvantaged group. The stipulation that people who have committed a small crime because of poverty will be exempted from prosecution is actually a kind of protection to the helpless from a legal perspective.<br> Furthermore, we all know that the objective of the judicial system is to prevent crimes rather than to punish wrongdoers. If one is severely punished because he steals bread for survival, the punishment may damage his whole life and lead him to commit more serious crimes. Severity does reflect justice and objectivity, but sometimes leniency can be more effective in saving the soul of an individual, because it will affect the hearts and minds of the petty criminals. It reflects tolerance and humanity and may play a more positive role in helping criminals make a fresh start.<br> In a word, if the law can show both leniency and severity at the same time, it will be the most