坦白从宽， 抗拒从严

坦白从宽， 抗拒从严 [tǎn bái cóng kuān kàng jù cóng yán]

1. ■ Leniency to [for] those who confess, severity to [for] those who resist.; Anyone who comes clean gets treated with leniency; anyone who holds back the truth gets treated harshly.; lenient if they come clean, stern if they don't; leniency towards those who confess [acknowledge] their crimes and [but] severe punishment on those who (stubbornly) refuse to do so; Those who own up are leniently treated; those who don't are severely treated.