The presumption of sanity – criticism of the rules applied in the Polish criminal procedure

Abstract

There are no doubts about the view that the applicable law should guarantee safety and a sense of justice in the society. Providing these values requires from prearranged normative regulations to take into account all factors, including those from the other fields that are associated with them. Sanity as well as its presumption undoubtedly count among the issues that go directly beyond the plane of law. To consider whether use of the presumption of sanity in a perpetrator of a criminal act is proper in the Polish criminal procedure there is a need for an in-depth analysis of sanity, insanity construction, as well as of factors affecting deprivation of the perpetrator of an abi-lity to recognise importance of the act or to direct their conduct. Giving consideration to this field will make it possible to obtain arguments justifying the adoption of a critical attitude towards the presumption of sanity of the perpetrator.