Two Systems, One Question: How American and Thai Courts Address Youth Mental Disorders in Criminal Justice
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Abstract
This article aims to examine and compare legal standards and criminal justice processes, particularly concerning the insanity defense, for juveniles with mental disorders under the United States’ common law system and Thailand’s civil law system. The study finds that the United States employs a variety of legal standards, including the M’Naghten Rule, the Irresistible Impulse Test, the Durham Rule, and the American Law Institute (ALI) Test. These reflect differing interpretations, with some focusing on protecting due process rights and others emphasizing rehabilitative measures. For example, in Golden v. State, the Arkansas court rejected the insanity defense to emphasize rehabilitation. In State in Interest of H.C., the New Jersey court partially recognized the defense to prioritize treatment over punishment; and in Winburn v. State, the Wisconsin court directly accepted the insanity defense. In Thailand, however, Supreme Court Judgment No. 8743/2544 established a case-by-case approach to determining intent and criminal responsibility, reflecting the country’s civil law framework and diverging from U.S. practice. The author recommends that Thailand should establish or codify legal guidelines that reflect the concept of substantial incapacity, enhance the roles of psychiatrists and psychologists as experts in the adjudication process, and develop unified procedures or legal frameworks specifically tailored tojuvenile cases involving mental disorders
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