Law, Responsibility, and the Brain

Mobbs, Dean; Lau, Hakwan C.; Jones, Owen D.; Frith, Christopher D.

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Law, Responsibility, and the Brain

PLoS Biology, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 693-700, April 2007

8 Pages Posted: 1 May 2007

See all articles by Dean Mobbs

Hakwan C. Lau

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) - Department of Psychology

Owen D. Jones

Vanderbilt University - Law School & Dept. of Biological Sciences

Christopher D. Frith

University College London - Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging

Abstract

This article addresses new developments in neuroscience, and their implications for law. It explores, for example, the relationships between brain injury and violence, as well as the connections between mental disorders and criminal behaviors. It discusses a variety of issues surrounding brain fingerprinting, the use of brain scans for lie detection, and concerns about free will. It considers the possible uses for, and legal implications of, brain-imaging technology. And it also identifies six essential limits on the use of brain imaging in courtroom procedures.

Keywords: law, neuroscience, neurolaw, brain, fMRI, brain-scanning, behavior, crime, criminal law, violence, neuroeconomics, behavioral biology, free will, law and biology, responsibility

JEL Classification: K00, K14, K40, K42

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Mobbs, Dean and Lau, Hakwan C. and Jones, Owen D. and Frith, Christopher D., Law, Responsibility, and the Brain. PLoS Biology, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 693-700, April 2007, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=982487