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Ramadan fasting increases leniency in judges from Pakistan and India

Author

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  • Sultan Mehmood

    (New Economic School)

  • Avner Seror

    (Aix-Marseille University)

  • Daniel L. Chen

    (Toulouse School of Economics)

Abstract

We estimate the impact of the Ramadan fasting ritual on criminal sentencing decisions in Pakistan and India from half a century of daily data. We use random case assignment and exogenous variation in fasting intensity during Ramadan due to the rotating Islamic calendar and the geographical latitude of the district courts to document the large effects of Ramadan fasting on decision-making. Our sample comprises roughly a half million cases and 10,000 judges from Pakistan and India. Ritual intensity increases Muslim judges’ acquittal rates, lowers their appeal and reversal rates, and does not come at the cost of increased recidivism or heightened outgroup bias. Overall, our results indicate that the Ramadan fasting ritual followed by a billion Muslims worldwide induces more lenient decisions.

Suggested Citation

  • Sultan Mehmood & Avner Seror & Daniel L. Chen, 2023. "Ramadan fasting increases leniency in judges from Pakistan and India," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 7(6), pages 874-880, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nathum:v:7:y:2023:i:6:d:10.1038_s41562-023-01547-3
    DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01547-3
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    1. Gordon B. Dahl & Andreas Ravndal Kostøl & Magne Mogstad, 2014. "Family Welfare Cultures," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 129(4), pages 1711-1752.
    2. David Clingingsmith & Asim Ijaz Khwaja & Michael Kremer, 2009. "Estimating the Impact of The Hajj: Religion and Tolerance in Islam's Global Gathering," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 124(3), pages 1133-1170.
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    1. Wu, Victor Y., 2025. "A Computational and Robustness Reproduction of "Ramadan Fasting Increases Leniency in Judges from Pakistan and India"," I4R Discussion Paper Series 245, The Institute for Replication (I4R).

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