Voluntary Manslaughter - Diminished Responsibility Flashcards
What is the act that defines diminished responsibility?
S2 Homicide Act 1957 (as amended by the Coroners and Justice Act ‘09)
What type of defence is it
Partial - reduces murder to manslaughter
Special - only applies to murder
What are the 4 parts of the defence?
- Abnormality of mental functioning
- Recognised medical condition
- Substantially impairs D’s abilities
- Explains Ds act/omission
What do you look for in a scenario when looking for abnormality of mental functioning?
Symptoms/behaviours
Abnormality of mental functioning means…
A state of mind so different from that of an ordinary human being that a reasonable man would term it abnormal
Case for abnormality of mental functioning
Byrne
How does D show he has a recognised medical condition?
Expert medical evidence
Case for paranoid personality disorder
Martin
Case for battered woman syndrome
Ahluwalia
Case for depression
Seers
Case for extreme stress
Brown
Case for schizophrenia
Edgington
Case for diabetes
Hennessy
Immediate effect of alcohol is not a recognised medical condition
Di Duca
Alcohol dependency syndrome is a recognised medical condition
Wood