1. Is the Insanity Defence Being Abused?
Rather than undertaking a series of psychological testing, the defence has to try to prove to the judge/jury that their client is in fact mentally ill based on a 163 year old ruling. Of course psychologists are consulted, and some testing may be done, but very little significance is placed on these outcomes rather it comes back to the M"Naughten ruling on whether or not the defendant was unaware of the act he was committing at the time. ... In previous cases, insanity defences have been based on the accused suffering from a variety of psychological disorders including paranoid schizophreni...
- Word Count: 1862
- Approx Pages: 7
- Grade Level: Undergraduate