M'Naghten Rules

The M'Naghten Rules are a legal guideline used to determine if someone accused of a crime was legally insane at the time of committing it. According to these rules, a person is not guilty by reason of insanity if, due to a mental disorder, they did not understand what they were doing or did not know that it was wrong. Essentially, it assesses whether the person’s mental state prevented them from recognizing their actions as right or wrong during the crime. This standard helps courts decide if mental illness absolves legal responsibility.