Incurable Insanity is a legal grounds for obtaining a divorce under family law. In Scott v. Scott, the Court of Appeals of North Carolina defined the term “Incurable Insanity” as being “so mentally impaired that he/she does not understand...
law and psychology
insanity
Insanity is a mental illness or disease that prevents a person from fully understanding their actions. While insanity is primarily a criminal law concept, it can also be found in the laws of contracts and wills. Insanity can be either partial...
insanity and diminished capacity
Insanity and diminished capacity are two related, but distinct legal terms that are relevant in the field of Criminal Law. Both concepts can be used by individuals as defenses against a wide variety of charged crimes. However, the two...
involuntary civil commitment
Involuntary civil commitment refers to the legal process by which individuals are admitted into a treatment facility or supervised outpatient treatment against their wishes. This can be done for various reasons, including mental illness,...
involuntary intoxication
Involuntary intoxication is a defense to criminal liability that arises when an individual commits a particular unlawful act while under the influence of intoxicating substances that were ingested involuntarily, and which rendered the...
irresistible impulse test
The irresistible impulse test is a legal doctrine that applies to the insanity defense in criminal cases. Under this test, a defendant may be found not guilty by reason of insanity if they demonstrate that they suffered from a mental disease...
McNaghten Rule
McNaghten Rule (more commonly spelled M’Naghten rule) was the first, and is still one of the four main tests jurisdictions use to determine whether a criminal defendant can claim insanity as a defense to a crime.
The test...
mental health
Mental health and the law interact in numerous ways. The term "competence" signifies a legal conclusion that an individual is capable of entering into a binding contract, transferring assets, or participating in a legal proceeding. The...
Model Penal Code insanity defense
The Model Penal Code insanity defense is the distinct formulation of the insanity defense found in the Model Penal Code and adopted by 21 states either completely or in a modified format.
The defense is found in MPC §4.01,...
pedophilia
Pedophilia is a mental disorder where an individual seeks sexual gratification from children. Spelled Paedophilia in British English. The American Psychological Association (APA) Dictionary of Psychology defines pedophilia as “a paraphilia in...