In criminal law, what does insanity imply about the defendant's actions?

Insanity in the context of criminal law indicates that a defendant was unable to comprehend their actions due to a mental illness at the time the crime was committed. This legal concept often refers to a person's inability to distinguish right from wrong or to understand the nature of their actions because of a severe mental disorder. Courts may employ various tests to assess a defendant's mental state, such as the M'Naghten Rule or the Model Penal Code test, to determine if they meet the criteria for insanity.

The implication here is that, if a defendant is found to be legally insane, they may be deemed not guilty by reason of insanity, effectively acknowledging that their mental condition impaired their ability to make rational decisions or conform their behavior to the law. This defenses shifts the focus from punishment for criminal behavior to addressing the mental health issues that influenced the defendant's conduct at the time of the offense.