The Model Penal Code

Model Penal Code

Introduction

In the year 1962, The American Law institute (ALI) established a statutory text that was named as Model Penal Code. Herbert Wechsler led this project as The Chief Reporter. In the year 1981, this penal code was updated. The United States attorneys and judges have advocated statutory codification of the common law since the early 1800s (Wechsler, 1956).

The Model Penal Code drew national attention in 1962 for its attempt to devise a more precise insanity defense definition. Under ¤ 401, it states that a person “is not responsible for criminal conduct if at the time ...