The influence of the gender on judicial decision-making: from judicial paternalism to family roles

Abstract

Using the concept of gender as an object of analysis, this article aims at having a retrospective description of the methodological and conceptual evolution regarding the influence of extralegal aspects on judicial decisions research through the most prominent authors. In the specific case of Gender, this evolution is characterized by a critical sophistication. The transition in the explanations in differential criminal sentences attributed to men and women evolved from a simplistic perspective linked to paternalism and chivalry hypothesis to more complex and multifaceted standpoints related to the different family roles exercised by men and women.

Offender's Gender; Extralegal Factors; Judicial Decisions; Paternalism; Gender Roles