criminal responsibility

a defendant’s ability to formulate criminal intent (see mens rea) at the time of the crime with which he or she is charged; it must be proved in court before the person can be convicted. Criminal responsibility may be excluded for reason of insanity (see Durham rule; irresistible impulse rule; M’Naghten rule) or mitigated for a number of other reasons (see diminished capacity; diminished responsibility).

Browse dictionary by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Psychology term of the day

November 19th 2024

carbon dioxide

carbon dioxide

(formula: CO₂) a colorless, odorless, incombustible gas formed during respiration, decomposition of organic substances, and combustion. All life on earth is carbon based. The increasing CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere is considered to be a main cause of global warming.