Justice / trials

[Simon]

No: HPFGUIDX 5963

Someone wrote: "Or it could be that Sirius and others were considered insane
and therefor not competent to stand trial."

Heidi wrote: "But if you're found to be insane, then (at least in the US,
which is based on teh same standard of insanity as the UK (stems from a UK
case where some guy tried to kill the prime minister about 100 years ago))
you go to a mental institution, not to prison (like luicus in cassandra's
fanfic Draco Sinister)."

You still get a trial in the UK in cases of insanity.
When you are asked how you plead, in response to the charges announced, you
would plead not guilty on ground of insanity (or something in that line).
Evidence is then presented to show whether or not this is the case and if it
is you are then found not guilty but sent off for psychiatric evaluation and
go to the appropriate mental institution.

Note that I am no way involved in the legal system and so the above is just
based on my knowledge of what goes on (in particular reference to the case
of the man accused of attempted murder of George Harrison (of the Beatles),
which had it trial about 200 metres from where I live last week, where this
insanity plead came up).

Simon