Skip to content

IDRA 1984

Definition

Insanity Defense Reform Act 1984: US federal legislation passed after John Hinckley's acquittal that eliminated the volitional prong, raised the standard to severe mental disease, and placed the burden of proof on the defendant by clear and convincing evidence.

Related terms

Appreciation vs Knowledge
The MPC and Canadian Criminal Code use 'appreciate' rather than 'know,' requiring a deeper, emotionally integrated understanding of the nature or wrongfulness...
BNS § 22
India's insanity defence provision in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, replacing IPC § 84: an act is not an offence if done...
Durham Rule
The 1954 US Court of Appeals (DC Circuit) product test: an accused is not criminally responsible if the unlawful act was the...
Guilty but Mentally Ill (GBMI)
A US verdict alternative introduced in some states from 1975: the defendant is found guilty (and sentenced) but is entitled to psychiatric...
Hari Singh Gond (2008)
Indian Supreme Court ruling setting out the four elements for establishing the IPC § 84 (now BNS § 22) defence: mental illness...
M'Naghten Rules
The 1843 English House of Lords formulation providing that a defendant is not criminally responsible if, at the time of the offence,...
MPC § 4.01 Substantial-Capacity Test
The American Law Institute's 1962 insanity formulation: a person lacks criminal responsibility if, as a result of mental disease or defect, they...

Explained in

Your journey to becoming a forensic professional starts here.

Practice with mock tests, learn from structured notes, and get your questions answered by a global forensic community, all in one place.