Why is mental illness qualify you to not be responsible for your crime?

[Spankey]

Tyrannical said:

Spankey said:
As far as I remember (it's been a while though) A person has to have capacity to act for it to be considered a crime.
But in a nutshell, the state of insanity allows the capacity to act to not be there, so if his insanity at the time of the act can be proved, he won't have the capacity to be accountable for his actions. Depending on the legal system in use, of course.
But it's a frigging difficult thing to prove.

 

1 For some reason they have to have the mental capacity to know right from wrong to be held culpable for a crime.2 Though in my opinion, someone incapable of this is no different then an animal and should be put down.

 

1 yup AFAIK too

2 Yee-haw! lets hear it for eugenics!