Use of assessment instruments in forensic evaluations of criminal responsibility in Norway

BMC Psychiatry

Table 1 Legal constructs in the Norwegian penal code on criminal responsibility^a

		Impairment
		Impaired reality testing	Intellectual impairment	Reduced mental awareness
Degree of responsibility	Criminal irresponsibility	Psychotic (legally insane)	Severe mental retardation	Strong disturbance of consciousness^b
Degree of responsibility	Reduced responsibility	Severe mental illness, but not psychotic	Less severe mental retardation	Less strong disturbance of consciousness

^aThe penal code had three prongs for criminal irresponsibility, and three prongs for “reduced responsibility” (or more correctly stated: mental disorder that could lead to a lesser sentence)
^bAlmost the same as “automatism”

ISSN: 1471-244X