Character and Personality in Relation to Criminal Responsibility

Abstract

The concept of responsibility is foreign to medical and psychiatric thinking, but must be faced by the expert witness. Temperament, personality and character are three discernibly different aspects of an individual. In understanding responsibility, character development is the most important. The major difficulties are in the case of psychopathic personality. The diagnosis, definition and causes of this are discussed, and consideration is given to the question of “irresistible impulse.”