Anglo-American Insanity Defence Reform: The War Between Law and Medicine

This work sets out to show that all attempts at reformulating insanity have been surrounded by controversy. This is because of the insanity defence's foundation on a rigid distinction between responsibility (sanity) and irresponsibility (insanity) - a distinction at odds with psychiatric theory. The author examines the diminished responsibility defence and its success in abating the medico-legal controversy surrounding the insanity defence. This is achieved by adopting a multi-jurisdictional approach (American, Irish and English developments are examined) and by exploring legal, medical and socio-legal historical writings on this subject.