Legal Insanity

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The Chhattisgarh High Court recently acquitted a man of double murder due to legal insanity, highlighting the importance of mental state in trials.

About Legal Insanity

• It is a term used to describe a mental state that is severe enough to prevent a person from having legal capacity and excuses them from criminal responsibility. 
• It is a recognised defence in criminal law.
• It is based on the assumption that at the time of the crime, the defendant was suffering from severe mental illness and therefore, was incapable of appreciating the nature of the crime and differentiating right from wrong behavior, hence making them not legally accountable for the crime. 
• The insanity defense is a legal concept, not a clinical one (medical one). This means that just suffering from a mental disorder is not sufficient to prove insanity.
• To benefit from legal insanity, the accused must establish, often through psychiatric or psychological evaluations, that they were not in control of their reasoning faculties during the commission of the prohibited act.
• The accused must present a prima facie case, supported by reasonable materials, to establish their legal insanity. 
• This may involve presenting evidence of their conduct before, during, or immediately after the offence, along with relevant medical documentation. 
• The objective is to convince the court that, due to mental incapacity, the accused should be exempt from full criminal responsibility.
• There are different types of legal insanity, such as emotional insanity, which is when a person experiences a violent excitement of emotions or passions that creates complete derangement of intellect. 
• Another type is temporary insanity, which only exists at the time of a criminal act.

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Legal Insanity in Recent Judgments

• The Supreme Court in Surendra Mishra vs. State of Jharkhand (AIR 2011 SC 627) emphasised that every person suffering from a mental disease is not automatically exempted from criminal liability. 
• The accused bears the responsibility of proving legal insanity and the onus can be discharged by demonstrating their conduct with reference to their medical condition.

What is Medical Insanity?

• It refers to a state of mental illness or psychological disorder that may require medical treatment. 
• It is a medical diagnosis based on the individual’s mental health condition.
• It primarily addresses the individual’s health and well-being, aiming to diagnose and treat mental illnesses for the person’s benefit.
• It does not necessarily impact a person’s ability to make decisions in their daily life. A person with a mental illness may still have decision-making capacity.
• It leads to medical treatment, therapy, and other interventions aimed at managing and improving the individual’s mental health.

Source: TH