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63. Justice Brennan while interpreting Eighth Amendment (Amendment VIII: (Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted) of US Constitution observes in Furman:

"In determining whether a punishment comports with human dignity, we are aided also by a second principle inherent in the Clause -- that the State must not arbitrarily inflict a severe punishment. This principle derives from the notion that the State does not respect human dignity when, without reason, it inflicts upon some people a severe punishment that it does not inflict upon others. Indeed, the very words "cruel and unusual punishments" imply condemnation of the arbitrary infliction of severe punishments."