Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

Zustand der Schuldunfähigkeit

English translation:

while not criminally responsible for his actions

Added to glossary by Kim Metzger
Aug 4, 2007 20:15
16 yrs ago
7 viewers *
German term

Zustand der Schuldunfähigkeit

German to English Law/Patents Law (general) prosecutor's statement of case
Staatsanwaltschaft
Antragsschrift an Landgericht Kaiserslautern

Herr X ist hinreichend verdächtig,
im Zustand der Schuldunfähigkeit

eine andere Person mit Gewalt und unter Ausnutzung einer Lage, in der das Opfer der Einwirkung des Täters schutzlos ausgeliefert ist, genötigt zu haben, sexuelle Handlungen des Täters an sich zu dulden, wobei der Täter mit dem Opfer den Beischlaf vollzogen hat.

The defendant was intoxicated at the time and has also been diagnosed as a paranoid-schizophrenic. The prosecutor is asking that the defendant be consigned to a mental hospital.

Verminderte Schuldfähigkeit is diminished responsibility. Schuldunfähigkeit is essentially an insanity defense. But I'm having trouble coming up with a translation of "im Zustand der Schuldunfähigkeit" - in a condition of non-responsibility is as close as I can come so far, but I've got to work the "Schuld" part in somehow. Non-criminal responsibility?

(Note: § 20 (Schuldunfähigkeit wegen seelischer Störungen) exempts perpetrators from criminal
liability who, at the time of the commission of the offence, are unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of their conduct or are unable to act in accordance with such appreciation by reason of a pathological emotional disorder, severe mental disturbance, severe mental retardation or some other severe mental abnormality (wegen einer krankhaften seelischen Störung, wegen einer tiefgreifenden Bewußtseinsstörung oder wegen Schwachsinns oder einer schweren anderen seelischen Abartigkeit).

http://www.lawcom.gov.uk/docs/comparative_studies.pdf

Proposed translations

+2
3 hrs
Selected

while not criminally liable (or responsible) for his actions

It seems yo me that we all clearly understand the meaning. I believe that my translation puts it into idiomatic English
Peer comment(s):

agree Katarina Peters
3 mins
agree writeaway : criminally responsible
10 hrs
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you all very much. "
+1
30 mins

not guilty by reason of insanity/being doli incapax (under-age)

im Zustand - as unfit by reason of insanity

doli incapax normally refers to children in the UK.




Example sentence:

Powers to deal with persons not guilty by reason of insanity or unfit to plead ... 1 to the Criminal Procedure (Insanity and Unfitness to Plead) Act 1991, ...

Peer comment(s):

agree AllegroTrans : 1st suggestion OK; nothing in the German text suggests uner-age;
57 mins
Thanks, but doli incapax is not defined as referring to children, hence the 'normally': www.clickdocs.co.uk/glossary/doli-incapax.htm
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31 mins

absence of criminal liability (responsiblity)/while being in a state of non-criminal liability

Schuldunfähigkeit = absence of criminal liability
while being in a state of non-criminal liabilty...
Peer comment(s):

neutral writeaway : too literal, not idiomatic legalese English. state of non-criminal liability doesn't exist as term. you are trying too hard to stick to the German
13 hrs
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