Criminal Law

Irresistible Impulse Test

Some jurisdictions have established the irresistible impulse test to broaden the M'Naghten test by providing a third prong under which to find a defendant insane—irresistible impulse.

This says that, as an alternative to not knowing the nature and quality of his act or that it was wrong, one may also be found insane if he suffers from a volitional defect that prevents him from complying with the demands of the law.