Psychology
The Insanity Defense and Its Legal Standards
Quick fact
The first modern legal standard for insanity, the M'Naghten rule, emerged in 1843 when a man attempted to assassinate the British Prime Minister, believing he was being persecuted. Under this rule, a defendant is not guilty if, due to mental disease, they didn't know the nature of the act or that it was wrong.
Why this is interesting
What happens when a crime is committed by someone who genuinely cannot tell right from wrong? The law has a surprising answer—and it's not the same everywhere.