PHD Discussions Logo

Ask, Learn and Accelerate in your PhD Research

Question Icon Post Your Answer

Question Icon

2 months ago in International Law By Krirthi

Can mental illness excuse war crimes?

If a soldier commits atrocities while severely mentally ill, does that matter under international law?

All Answers (1 Answers In All)

By Varun Answered 1 month ago

It can but the bar is astronomical. The M'Naghten rule (inability to know right from wrong) applies in many jurisdictions. For international crimes, Article 31 of the Rome Statute explicitly accepts mental defect as grounds for excluding criminal responsibility. But the threshold requires proof that the accused completely lacked capacity to appreciate the unlawfulness of their conduct. For leadership-level crimes—planning, ordering this defense has almost never succeeded. The law recognizes mental illness as real. It just demands overwhelming proof that it truly negated moral agency.

Your Answer