گستره دفاع اختلال روانی در حقوق کیفری ایران و آمریکا

یکی از مواردی که می‌تواند عدالت کیفری را با چالش مواجه کند، ادعای وجود اختلال روانی در هنگام ارتکاب جرم است. پذیرش این دفاع باعث کاهش مجازات یا تبرئه متهم می‌شود. جنون یکی از موانع مسئولیت کیفری است؛ اما اختلال‌های روانی در بسیاری از موارد مشمول جنون نمی‌شوند و در دسته‌ای که گستره‌ای بین جنون و سلامت عقل است، جای می‌گیرند. پرسش اصلی پژوهش حاضر، این است که شرایط احراز جنون در هر یک از نظام های حقوقی ایران و آمریکا کدام‌اند؟ نتایج این پژوهش که با روش توصیفی- تحلیلی انجام شده است نشانگرآن است که در نظام کیفری ایران و غالب ایالت‌های آمریکا، جنون در معنای اختلال روانی منجر به فقدان تام اراده یا قوه تمییز آمده است و نیز مطابق ماده 149 ق.م.ا 1392 و همچنین در حقوق آمریکا عقب‌ماندگی‌های شدید ذهنی را می‌توان منطبق با ضوابط جنون و در زمره عوامل رافع مسئولیت کیفری دانست. در حقوق آمریکا برای اختلال‌های روانی که رافع مسئولیت کیفری نباشند، نهاد مسئولیت نسبی پیش‌بینی شده است که با ماده 18 ق.م.ا که قاضی را در تعیین مجازات ملزم به توجه به وضعیت ذهنی و روانی مرتکب می‌کند، قابل قیاس است.

the scope of mental disorder defense in the criminal systems of iran and the united states of america

one issue that can challenge the criminal justice system is the claim of mental disorder at the time of committing a crime. acceptance of this defense reduces the punishment or leads to the acquittal of the accused. mental disorders encompass a wide range of brain disorders, with the most severe being insanity, which is recognized as a factor that removes criminal responsibility in various legal systems, including those of iran and the united states of america. therefore, if a person commits a criminal act but lacks the necessary capacity to discern the rightness or wrongness of their actions, the attribution of responsibility to the perpetrator is lost, and they will not be held accountable. article 149 of the islamic penal code of 1392 states, if the perpetrator is mentally disturbed at the time of committing the crime in such a way that they lack volition or discernment, they are considered insane. in american law, the concept of insanity is rooted in common law, and regulations governing insanity differ across different states in the country. american legal professionals believe that mentally ill individuals who commit crimes should undergo psychiatric treatment before facing punishment. at the same time, the legal rights of these mentally ill criminals must be respected, but concerns about public safety and preventing the frequent dangers posed by these individuals must also be taken into account. the goal is to strike a balance between the patient's right to treatment and the responsibility to ensure public safety. this study aims to explain the concept of insanity, the conditions required for its verification, and its effects on the criminal justice systems of america, iran, and imami jurisprudence. it seeks to answer the following questions: what are the conditions to prove insanity in the legal systems of iran and america? what is the stance on diminished responsibility in the criminal justice systems of iran and america? are milder mental disorders than insanity also recognized as an obstacle to criminal liability? methodology: this study employs a descriptive-analytical method and relies on a library collection tool. discussion and conclusion: the principle of acquitting individuals with insanity from criminal liability is generally accepted in imami jurisprudence and the criminal laws of iran and america. jurists consider it necessary for a person to possess the legal capacity to be held responsible, and the general conditions of religious obligation form the basis of criminal responsibility and the legitimacy of imposing any type of punishment that society implements on a criminal for committing a crime. insanity has an impact on criminal liability in the laws of iran and america. article 149 of the islamic penal code, approved in 2012 and based on the mcnaghten criteria and the model penal code, establishes that mental disorders leading to a decline in volition or discernment remove criminal responsibility. criminal responsibility or non-responsibility is absolute in the islamic penal code. consequently, many individuals with mental disorders are deemed fully criminally responsible. the need to consider diminished responsibility in the context of insanity rules is evident and requires attention and revision to ensure fairness. recognizing this necessitates focusing on two aspects related to the issue of insanity: the legal aspect and the psychiatric aspect. psychiatry has shown that there are intermediate states between sanity and insanity that do not lead to a deterioration of criminal responsibility like insanity, yet the accused does not possess complete mental and psychological health to be considered responsible for their actions.