Abstract
The question of mental competence arises in many different areas of the law. In order to make contracts and wills, have criminal responsibility, be a witness, or stand trial, a person must be mentally competent. Obviously, however, not every degree of mental deficiency or peculiarity is legally significant. Moreover, there is no single test of competence for these various contexts; rather, competency is defined in different ways for different purposes [56]. As a result, and somewhat paradoxically, a person can be legally incompetent in some areas while remaining legally competent in others. For example, since the law requires a lower degree of capacity in the making of wills than it does for the execution of contracts, one may be competent to make a will but incompetent to transact ordinary business affairs.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Bibliography
Cases
Application of President and Directors of Georgetown College, 331 F.2d 1000 (D.C. Cir. 1964).
Bellotti v. Baird, 443 U.S. 622 (1979).
Border v. Kelso, 293 Ill. 175, 127 N.E. 337 (1920).
Cobbs v. Grant, 8 Cal. 3d 229, 502 P.2d 1 (1972).
Commission of Corrections v. Myers, 399 N.E. 2d 452 (Mass. 1979).
Department of Human Services v. Northern, 563 S.W. 2d 197 (Tenn. Ct. of Appeals 1978).
Dexter v. Hall, 82 U.S. (15 Wall.) 9, 20 (1872).
Dunham v. Wright, 423 F.2d 940 (3d Cir. 1970).
Farber v. Sweet Style Manufacturing Co., 40 Misc. 2d 212, 242 N.Y.S.2d 763 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. 1963).
Grannum v. Berard, 70 Wash. 2d 304, 422 P.2d 812 (1967).
Howe v. Massachusetts, 99 Mass. 88, 98-99 (1868).
In re A.C, 573 A.2d 1235 (D.C. App. 1990).
In re E.G., a minor, 1133 Ill.2d 08, 549 N.E. 2d 322 (1989).
In re Holloway’s Estate, 195 Cal. 711, 733, 235 P. 1012, 1021 (1925).
In re Honigman’s Will, 8 N.Y.2d 244, 168 N.E.2d 676, 203 N.Y.S.2d 859(1960).
In re Quackenbush, 156 N.J. Super. 282, 383 A.2d 785 (1978).
In re Yetter, 62 Pa. D & C 2d 619 (1973).
Krasner v. Berk, 366 Mass. 464, 319 N.E.2d 897 (1974).
Lane v. Candura, 376 N.E.2d 1232 (Mass. App. 1978).
Long Island Jewish M.Ctr., 557 N.Y.S.2d 239 (Sup. 1990).
Matter of Farrell, 529 A.2d 404 (N.J. 1987).
Matter of Schiller, 148 N.J. Super. 168, 372 A.2d 360 (1977).
Mohr v. Williams, 95 Minn. 261, 104 N.W. 12 (1905).
Moore v. Webb, 345 S.W.2d 239 (Mo. 1961).
Mutual Life Ins. Co. v. Hunt, 79 N.Y. 541, 545 (1880).
Ortelere v. Teachers’ Retirement Board, 25 N.Y.2d 196, 303 N.Y.S.2d 362, 250 N.E.2d 460 (1969).
Ryman’s Case, 139 Pa. Superior Ct. 212 (1939).
Schloendorff v. Society Hospital, 211 N.Y. 125, 105 N.E. 92 (1914).
Smith v. Seibly, 72 Wash. 2d 16, 431 P.2d 719 (1967).
Thompson v. Leach, 3 Mod. Rep. 301, 87 Eng. Rep. 199 (1690).
U.S. v. Charters, 829 F.2d 479 (4th Cir., 1987). (Later overturned en banc at 863 F.2d 302 (1988)).
United States v. George, 239 F. Supp. 752 (D. Conn. 1965).
Uribe v. Olson, 42 Or. App. 647, 601 F.2d 818 (1979).
Willett v. Willett, 333 Mass. 323, 324, 130 N.E.2d 582 (1955).
Younts v. St. Francis Hosp. & School of Nursing, Inc., 205 Kan. 292, 469 P.2d 330(1970).
Articles and Books
Alexander, G. and Szasz, T.: 1973, ‘From Contract to Status via Psychiatry’, Santa Clara Lawyer 13, 537–559.
American Law Institute: 1981, Restatement of the Law Second, Contracts 2d, A.L.I. Publishers, St. Paul.
Annas, G. and Densberger, J.: 1984, ‘Competency to Refuse Medical Treatment: Autonomy v. Paternalism’ Toledo Law Review 15, 561–596.
(Annotation): 1969, ‘Mental Competency of Patient to Consent to Surgical Operation or Medical Treatment’, American Law Reports 3d 25, 1439–1443.
Calamari, J. and Perillo, J.: 1977, The Law of Contracts, 2nd ed., West Publishing Co., St. Paul.
Capron, A.: 1974, ‘Informed Consent in Catastrophic Disease Research and Treatment’, University of Pennsylvania Law Review 123, 340–438.
Cook, W.: 1921, ‘Mental Deficiency and the Law of Contract’ Columbia Law Review 21, 424–441.
Dawson, J., Harvey, W. and Henderson, S.: 1982, Cases and Comment on Contracts, 4th ed., Foundation Press, New York.
Dresser, R.: 1984, ‘Feeding the Hunger Artist: Legal Issues in Treating Anorexia Nervosa’, Wisconsin Law Review, 297–374.
Green, M.: 1941, ‘Judicial Tests of Mental Incompetency’, Missouri Law Review 6, 141–165.
Green, M.: 1943, ‘The Operative Effect of Mental Incompetency on Agreements and Wills’ Texas Law Review 21, 554–589.
Green, M.: 1944, ‘Proof of Mental Incompetency and the Unexpressed Major Premise’, Yale Law Journal 53, 271–311.
Grotius, H.: 1646, Of the Rights of War and Peace, Book II.
Keeton, W. et al.: 1984, Prosser and Keeton on the Law of Torts, West Publishing Co., St. Paul.
Keith-Speigel, P.: 1981, ‘Children and Consent to Participate in Research’, in Children’s Competency to Consent, Melton (et al.), pp. 179–207.
Kelly, W.: 1960, ‘The Physician, the Patient, and the Consent’, Kansas Law Review 8, 405–434.
Leake, S. M.: 1912, The Law of Contracts (6th ed.), Stevens and Sons, Lmtd., London.
McCoid, A.: 1957, ‘A Reappraisal of Liability for Unauthorized Medical Treatment’, Minnesota Law Review 41, 381–434.
McCrary, S. V. and Walman, A. T.: 1990, ‘Procedural Paternalism in Competency Determinations’, Law, Medicine &Heath Care 18, 108–113.
Meisel, A.: 1979, ‘The “Exceptions” to the Informed Consent Doctrine: Striking a Balance between Competing Values in Medical Decisionmaking’, Wisconsin Law Review, 413–488.
(Note): 1974, ‘Informed Consent and the Dying Patient’, Yale Law Journal 83, 1632–1664.
(Note): 1959, ‘Mental Illness and Contracts’ Michigan Law Review 57, 1020–1118.
(Note): 1990, ‘Determining Patient Competency in Treatment Refusal Cases’, Georgia Law Review 24, 733–757.
Perlin, M. L.: 1990, ‘Are Courts Competent to Decide Competency Questions? Stripping the Facade from United States v. Charters’, Kansas Law Review 38, 957–1001.
Robertson, J.: 1991, ‘The Geography of Competency’, in this volume, pp. 127–148.
Roth, L., Meisel, A. and Lidz, C.: 1977, ‘Tests of Competency to Consent to Treatment’, American Journal of Psychiatry 134, 279–284.
Wadlington, W., Whitebread, C. and Davis, S.: 1983, Cases on Children in the Legal System, Foundation Press, New York.
Wadlington, W.: 1973, ‘Minors and Health Care: The Age of Consent’, Osgoode Hall Law Journal 11, 115–125.
Weithorn, L.: 1983, ‘Children’s Capacity to Decide About Participation in Research’, IRB 5.
White, P.: 1983, ‘The Common Law as a Model of the Patient-Physician Relationship: A Response to Professor Brody’, in E. E. Shelp (ed.), The Clinical Encounter, D. Reidel Publishing Com., Dordrecht, Holland, pp. 133–139.
Zimring, F.: 1982, The Changing Legal World of Adolescence, Free Press, New York, pp. 91–93. Unpublished Paper
‘Position Statement: Standards Regarding Consent for Treatment and Research Involving Children’, American Psychological Association Third Draft: January, 1984.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1991 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
White, P.D., Denise, S.H. (1991). Medical Treatment Decisions and Competency in the Eyes of the Law: A Brief Survey. In: Cutter, M.A.G., Shelp, E.E. (eds) Competency. Philosophy and Medicine, vol 39. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3614-3_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3614-3_7
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-5603-8
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-3614-3
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive