Confession

Confession, in criminal law, a statement in which a person acknowledges that he is guilty of committing one or more crimes.

The term confession has been variously defined in the context of contemporary criminal justice. Some commentators understand it broadly, so as to include admissions of criminal behaviour to private parties, admissions to law-enforcement officials not of guilt but of other facts that may link a suspect to a crime, and exculpatory statements (e.g., a self-defense explanation), as well as conduct indicative of guilt (e.g., an attempt to mislead or to flee from police). It is preferable, however, to distinguish a confession from other kinds of self-incriminating actions.

Confessions have been used as evidence against criminal defendants since ancient times. The admissibility of the confessions of accused persons, however, has always raised concerns of fairness and accuracy. These concerns are reflected in modern American law, particularly in decisions of the United States Supreme Court.

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Confession in ancient legal systems

The laws of ancient Greece and Rome recognized an accused’s confession as evidence in criminal cases. In Athens in the 4th century bce, magistrates began criminal trials by reading the charge and asking the defendant if he admitted guilt. Such an admission would relieve the defendant of the need to submit a formal statement of denial and would typically result in less than the maximum penalty.

In the 2nd century bce, Roman tribunes (magistrates) presided over public trials conducted before crowds of spectators. After presenting the charges, the tribune would announce a penalty and ask the defendant if he admitted guilt. If so, the tribune would promptly sentence the defendant. But if the defendant denied the crime three times, the tribune would proceed to a hearing that took place before a formal assembly of the people. The assembly would decide by majority vote whether guilt had been established and what punishment, if any, was to be imposed.

Confession in China, Japan, and India

The classical legal systems of East and South Asia generally placed great emphasis on confession. In China early Confucian scholars stressed the value of repentance. Individuals were encouraged to discuss their misconduct with their relatives and to work hard to repent and reform. As early as the Sui dynasty (581–618 ce), codified Chinese law provided for more lenient penalties for those who confessed truthfully and voluntarily. Those who confessed to a crime that previously had been unknown to the authorities were typically exempt from punishment or at least given a sentence considerably reduced from what would have been usual for such a crime.

Although this emphasis on confession resulted in leniency for some, it was accompanied by the routine use of judicial torture against those thought to be untruthful or insufficiently forthcoming. Chinese officials viewed confession not only as a virtue in itself but also as a way to avoid error in criminal investigations and maintain their authority. Consequently, by the time of the Tang dynasty (618–907 ce), confessions of guilt were extracted through an inquisitorial process that included a closely monitored system of torture.

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This combination of torturous investigatory practices and lenient sentences, often accompanied by victim restitution, continued into the 20th century. A similar pattern existed in the People’s Republic of China into the early 21st century, despite periodic efforts from the 1980s to prohibit torture by police and to ban the use of evidence obtained through torture in the courts. Although police often resorted to abusive measures when they believed an unrepentant suspect was guilty, a voluntary confession viewed as sincere and truthful was still considered a noteworthy mitigating circumstance.

Early Chinese evidentiary techniques had a pivotal influence on Japan’s rulers in the 7th and 8th centuries. Consequently, early Japanese law extended leniency to offenders who voluntarily confessed and were thought to be sincerely remorseful. Through the centuries, Japanese law departed from the Chinese model and was increasingly subject to European influences. Nevertheless, confession, remorse, and victim restitution continued—and still continue—to play a major role in Japanese criminal justice.

Contemporary Japanese authorities view a sincere confession and forgiveness by the victim as mitigating factors. But Japanese police commonly use prolonged interrogations, threats, and other ill treatment to induce confessions, especially from those who are believed to be guilty but who refuse to confess. Such behaviour is viewed as evidence that the malefactor will not benefit from correctional treatment, and police and prosecutors are thereupon more likely to resort to harsh measures to coerce a confession. Not surprisingly, the vast majority of Japanese defendants do confess to the charges against them. In turn, the vast majority of those who confess are found guilty, even though Japanese law now requires prosecutors to prove that a confession was voluntary and to provide at least some additional corroborating evidence.

Classical Indian law also stressed the virtues of confession and repentance. The Manu-smriti (“Laws of Manu”), generally thought to have been compiled about 100 ce, was based upon the ancient Hindu concept of dharma (generally, the religious and moral law governing individual conduct). Chapter 11 of the Manu-smriti warns sinners of the necessity of expiating their misdeeds and attaches a purifying effect to confession and repentance. The belief that confession is the first step toward redemption is still present in India, where a sincere confession will commonly result in the reduction of an offender’s sentence.