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Mcnaghten Rules Ok? The Need For Revision Of The Automatism And Insanity Defenses In English Criminal Law, R. D. Mackay

Penn State International Law Review

There has been a resurgence of interest in the codification of "craziness" both in the United States and in England. Most recent legislative reforms in the United States have followed in the wake of the jury's verdict in the Hinckley case, whilst in England renewed interest in revising the insanity defense has been prompted by a report to the Law Commission on the codification of the criminal law. The purpose of this article is first to briefly review relevant reforms in the United States; second to critically analyze the present legal position in England; third to discuss English reform proposals; …