Do we need to treat psychopathy like psychiatry in criminal law?

Authors

  • Baizhen Li

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61173/0edygh18

Keywords:

criminal law, psychiatry, psychopathy, legal system

Abstract

This manuscript reviews the differences between psychiatry and psychopathy, as well as why modern laws have different punishments for psychiatric patients compared to normal people and then expresses the rationality of differentiating punishments for psychopaths in the legal system under contemporary research on the brain and genes, and discusses the serious consequences this behavior may bring.

References

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Published

2025-04-21