Hamilton J R
J Med Ethics. 1986 Mar;12(1):13-7. doi: 10.1136/jme.12.1.13.
The McNaughton Rules, which are used when someone pleads insanity at the time of a homicide, are out of date and unsatisfactory. Suggestions have been made about how the insanity defence can be reformulated. The preference of a defence of diminished responsibility means abandoning an ancient and humane principle of not convicting those who are so mentally disordered as not to be responsible for their actions. There is a need for Parliament to consider changes to the law both to prevent the mentally disordered being sent to prison inappropriately, and because the Mental Health Act 1983 has not taken account of rare cases where an offender such as an epileptic might be found legally insane but not mentally disordered.
在某人因杀人时精神错乱而进行抗辩时所使用的麦克诺顿规则已经过时且不尽人意。关于如何重新制定精神错乱抗辩已有诸多建议。对减轻责任抗辩的偏好意味着摒弃一项古老且人道的原则，即不对那些精神错乱以至于对自己行为不负责任的人定罪。议会有必要考虑修改法律，既要防止精神错乱者被不恰当地送进监狱，也要考虑到1983年《精神健康法》未顾及的罕见情况，比如癫痫患者这类罪犯可能在法律上被认定为精神错乱但实际上并无精神障碍。
