DPP urges amendment to criminal insanity laws

DIRECTOR of Public Prosecutions James Hamilton wants the criminal insanity law changed so he will not be forced to charge a defendant, whom everyone agrees is insane, with murder.

Instead, Mr Hamilton wants to bring a charge of insanity against the person who did the killing and if the jury finds the defendant guilty, he will be detained in a mental institution for life.

It will have the same result as the current law, but by not bringing a murder charge, the person's family can be saved a lot of distress in court, Mr Hamilton said.