INSANITY AND CRIME.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume X, Issue 139, 27 May 1920, Page 7

INSANITY AND CRIME.

A DOCTOR’S VIEWS. The intinaace of psychology upon criminal impulse was touched upon to an interesting degree during the hearing of a case in the Supreme Court at Brisbane recently, before the Chief .lustice of Queensland. Counsel for the defence set up a plea of insanity, and called medical evidence to support, the line of reasoning, which based itself chiefly upon mental after effects of an attack of influenza. Dr. F.llerton. acknowledged to he an Australian authority on diseases of the brain, advanced the view that the accused acted instinctively without being able to control the impulse. He differentiated between voluntary action. He held psychology had a most imjxirtant bearing on crime, and suggested that many men had been sent to gaol ■when an asylum for the insane would have been a more logfeal destination. ‘•Your argument, then,’’ said his Honour, “is that the world has been sending i>oor devils to prison all these years when they should have been confined to an asylum.’’ “Many doctors who l" , v» made r. study of the snbiect hold opinions to that effect,” was the repfv. In answer to the Prosecutor. T)r. Ellertcn preferred the suggestion tbns in cases similar tn the one on trial a jury of experts would be desirable. “No doubt von would take a favourable View of that kind of inry, doctor,” remarked the Crown Prosecutor, “but 1 rather think the only person who would agree with you is yourself.”