R v Sullivan
1984 · AC 156
Posted By lanbuk.com
- Facts
- Sullivan kicked and injured a man while recovering from an epileptic seizure. He did not know what he was doing and had no memory of it.
- Issue
- Is epilepsy a disease of the mind, so that the verdict is insanity?
- Held
- The House of Lords held that it was. The proper verdict was not guilty by reason of insanity under the M'Naghten Rules.
- Principle
- A disturbance of the mind from an internal condition is insanity, even if the condition is temporary and the person recovers.
- Why it matters
- Policy treats this as . Quick is the contrast, where the cause was external.
Words and Latin in this note
- Automatism
- An act done by the muscles without control by the mind, such as a spasm, a reflex, or a blackout. An external cause can be a complete defence. An internal cause, such as epilepsy, is treated as insanity. Open the note.
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