Mental disorders in the terminology of Russian legal acts of the XIth–XIXth centuries. Part 2

Abstract

The paper focuses on the issues of interpretation of mental disorders (morbid mental states) in legal terms, probing into factors that significantly informed this process. The Russian legislation and law enforcement practices of the 11th–19th centuries are analyzed to identify the substantive component of the terms with the semantic implication of mental disorders. The records studied provide a rationale to conclude that there is a long-standing lack in the national legislation of both unified terms defining mental disorders and terminological clarifications needed for its implementation. The foregoing reflects the inadequacy of legal notions on legally relevant mental disorders which contributed to gaps in legislation fraught with pitfalls and problems in law enforcement practice.