The Insanity Defense Term Paper

This paper examines the use of the insanity defense in criminal law, with a focus on the legal issues involved with verdicts of "not guilty by reason of insanity" also known as NGRI and "guilty but mentally ill." The paper traces the use of the insanity defense, citing specific cases and the precedents they set. In particular, the paper discusses the M'Naghten rule at length. The paper further highlights the difficulties in proving insanity by describing specific cases and giving a brief literature review. The paper also explores the concept of premeditation. The paper concludes that trials dealing with issues such as mental illness are ones that should not be taken lightly and should be viewed upon in all facets of the criminal justice system.