Vol. 523 No. 3
57 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when the proposed review of the law on criminal insanity will be completed; when he will bring proposals to Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20175/00]
A Bill to amend the law relating to criminal insanity is being drafted in the office of the Parliamentary Counsel to the Government. The Bill is a complex one but I expect to be in a position to publish it by early 2001.
The Bill will contain extensive provisions dealing with fitness to plead at a criminal trial; it will contain a definition of criminal insanity and provide for a new verdict of "not guilty by reason of insanity" to replace the present "guilty but insane" verdict; it will introduce a new plea of "guilty but with diminished responsibility" in cases of murder. In addition, it will establish a new review body whose function it will be to review the cases of persons detained after verdicts of not guilty by reason of insanity or findings of unfitness to plead.
