leniency
n.the quality of being kind and not punishing someone too much. You use this when someone makes a mistake but gets a lighter punishment than they might have expected.
n.the quality of being merciful or forgiving in the administration of punishment. Often used in legal or disciplinary contexts to describe a lenient sentence or action.
“The judge showed leniency by giving him a small fine.”
“The school board decided to show leniency toward the student because it was his first offense.”
“While the statute mandates a minimum sentence, the court may exercise leniency if the defendant demonstrates genuine remorse and a commitment to rehabilitation.”
“On Tuesday's sentencing, Liu's lawyer asked for leniency arguing that his client feels remorse and "is not a cult leader, nor requires people to follow his cult", according to Radio New Zealand.”
“If the first offender escapes consequences, children expect the second offender to be treated with the same leniency.”
From lenient + -ency.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.