The paper explores the link between penal ideology and international trial justice from the perspective of sentencing the argument is based on the premise that the perceived legitimacy of . Sentencing and the legitimacy of trial justice embraces a contextual and insightful analysis of sentencing and public perception the overall structure of the text encompasses a number of theoretical and procedural rationales as well as criticisms that may challenge ones views regarding the existence and significance of governance within the institution of criminal justice. Sentencing and the legitimacy of trial justicefirmly ties the issue of legitimacy to the relevant context for delivering justice it suggests a need to develop the tools and methods for achieving this and offers some novel solutions to this complex problem. Sentencing and the legitimacy of trial justice embraces a contextual and insightful analysis of sentencing and public perception the overall structure of the text encompasses a number of theoretical and procedural rationales as well as criticisms that may challenge ones views regarding the existence and significance of governance within the institution of criminal justice