The disabled (1 Viewer)

[beeky]

Hi Everyone,

Don't know how many people would be on at this time, but here goes.
I forgot over the holidays I had an assignment - which is due Monday.
It is on the the effectiveness of the legal system in responding to people with mental (illness), intellectual and physical disabilities.

I must address:

To what extent law reflects the culture and values of different groups within society, and,

Interrelationship ------* law, justice, society + changing nature of law.

I really disagree with the fact that these people are treated with more leniency in the eyes of the law among other things, if anyone has something good on these people that does not make me sound horrible, please tell me.

Bye Bye.

 

[Kabbasi]

Hey - I realise that this message is a little too late, but I might as well write something just so that message that keeps telling me that I haven't participated in any discussions lately disappears.

In terms of the law dealing with individuals with mental illnesses I immediately thought of the use of mental illness as a [complete] defence in cases for murder. So in basic terms, a person who is tried for murder who is deemed mentally ill will not be convicted for the crime, but instead be placed in rehabilitation facilities indefinitely. I suppose this reflects societal values that many people with mental illnesses are unable to control their actions and hence rehabilitation and care would be more appropriate than incarceration. If you were after a specific case which defines the use of the defence of mental illness, you should do a search on the Mc'Naughten (the spelling of the case is different in books) ruling, where a person was not convicted for shooting a person for the reason that he strongly believed that the government was out to get him and acted according to his presumptions.

Hope that helps - I apologise that I couldn't have responded earlier.