Durham rule

noun

A rule in a criminal case by which a jury may determine a defendant not guilty by reason of insanity because a criminal act was the product of a mental disease.

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Meanings

nounDurham rule (plural Durham rules)

plural Durham rules

  1. lawA rule in a criminal case by which a jury may determine a defendant not guilty by reason of insanity because a criminal act was the product of a mental disease.

Origin

After the case of Durham v. United States (1954).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Durham rule. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Durham%20rule

MLA

“Durham rule.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Durham%20rule. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Durham rule,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Durham%20rule.

Source: Durham rule on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.