PSYC 2400 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Prima Facie, Actus Reus, Mens Rea
15 Apr 2013
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Fitness to stand trial: canada"s insanity standard, cases of successful and unsuccessful in using a mental disorder as a defence, automatism, options for treating mentally ill offenders. Elements that must be present for criminal guilt: You have to actually commit an act against the law. If you know what you are doing, then you are responsible for your actions. If they couldn"t understand that what they were doing was wrong, then they shouldn"t be punished: must be found beyond a reasonable doubt for a guilty verdict to be reached. Fitness to stand trial: unfit to stand trial: an inability to conduct a defense at any stage of the proceedings on account of a mental disorder, present state of mind at the time of trial. Fitness standard: unfit to stand trial if (due to mental disorder) unable to: Understand nature or object of proceedings: don"t understand why they are there, why there is a jury.
