[Grammar] rephrased sentence

[shibli.aftab]

The moral and social imperative in criminal justice must always be on establishing guilt and awarding condign punishment, the worst of which should be a life-long prison term.

Could above sentence be rephrased as,

"The moral and social imperative in criminal justice must always be on establishment of guilt and must award condign punishment, the worst of which should be a life-long prison term." ?

Is "awarding condign punishment" a participial phrase?
How should we use participial phrase in these type of sentence?

 

[probus]

Your rephrasing of the sentence is as correct and natural as the original and bears the same meaning.

"Awarding condign punishment" is indeed a participial phrase.

Condign is a word that is very little used nowadays. If you are revising the sentence anyway, I suggest that appropriate would be an improvement on condign.