"In order that punishment should not be an act of violence perpetrated by one or many upon a private citizen, it is essential that it should be public, speedy, necessary, the minimum possible in the given circumstances, proportionate to the crime, and determined by the law."
Cesare Beccaria was an Italian Enlightenment philosopher and jurist best known for On Crimes and Punishments (1764). His arguments against torture and arbitrary punishment influenced modern criminal law. He is widely regarded as a foundational thinker in criminology and penal reform.