Insanity defense

In a criminal trial, the insanity defenses are possible defenses by excuse, via which defendants may argue that they should not be held criminally liable for breaking the law, as they were mentally ill or mentally incompetent at the time of their allegedly "criminal" actions. The insanity defense is still in use in the United States, while most Commonwealth countries have moved to a mental disorder defence.

Related Topics:
Criminal trial - Defense - Excuse - Defendants - Criminally - Liable - Law - Commonwealth - Mental disorder defence

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The insanity defense is available in most jurisdictions that respect human rights and have a rule of law, though the extent to which it can be applied may differ widely between jurisdictions.

Related Topics:
Human rights - Rule of law

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This defense is based on a principle that punishment is only reasonable if the defendant is capable of distinguishing right and wrong. A defendant making this argument might be said to be pleading "not guilty by reason of insanity" (NGRI).

Related Topics:
Punishment - Wrong

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