Insanity Defense Reform Act

The act removed the volitional component, that a defendant lacked capacity to conform their conduct to the law, from the ALI test. Defendants were exculpated only if "at the time of the commission of the acts constituting the offense, ... as the result of a severe mental disease or defect, [they were] unable to appreciate the nature and quality or wrongfulness of [their] acts." Furthermore, expert witnesses for either side are prohibited from testifying directly as to whether the defendant was legally sane or not, ==References==