Intoxication - national proceedings

Malta

Malta - Criminal Code 1854 (2013) EN

BOOK FIRST PENAL LAWS

PART I
OF PUNISHMENTS AND GENERAL RULES FOR THEIR APPLICATION, OF THE WILL AND AGE OF
THE OFFENDER, OF ATTEMPTED OFFENCE, OF ACCOMPLICES AND OF RECIDIVISTS

TITLE II
OF THE WILL AND AGE OF THE OFFENDER

34. (1) Save as provided in this article, intoxication shall not constitute a defence to any criminal charge.

(2) Intoxication shall be a defence to any criminal charge if -
(a) by reason thereof the person charged at the time of the act or omission complained of was incapable of understanding or volition and the state of intoxication was caused without his consent by the malicious or negligent act of another person; or
(b) the person charged was by reason of the intoxication insane, temporarily or otherwise, at the time of such act or omission.

(3) Where the defence under subarticle (2) is established, then, in a case falling under paragraph (a) thereof, the person charged shall be discharged, and, in a case falling under paragraph (b), the provisions of articles 620 to 623 and 625 to 628 shall apply.

(4) Intoxication shall be taken into account for the purpose of determining whether the person charged had formed any intention specific or otherwise, in the absence of which he would not be guilty of the offence.

(5) For the purposes of this article "intoxication" shall be deemed to include a state produced by
narcotics or drugs.

Rome Statute

Article 31 Grounds for excluding criminal responsibility

1. In addition to other grounds for excluding criminal responsibility provided for in this Statute, a person shall not be criminally responsible if, at the time of that person's conduct:

(b) The person is in a state of intoxication that destroys that person's capacity to appreciate the unlawfulness or nature of his or her conduct, or capacity to control his or her conduct to conform to the requirements of law, unless the person has become voluntarily intoxicated under such circumstances that the person knew, or disregarded the risk, that, as a result of the intoxication, he or she was likely to engage in conduct constituting a crime within the jurisdiction of the Court;