An automatism is an act committed during a state of unconsciousness or grossly impaired consciousness. Such an act lacks mens rea or a guilty mind. Automatism was defined by the Court of Appeal as 'the state of a person who, though capable of action, is not conscious of what he is doing. . . .

What act defines automatism?

Definition of automatism

An act is done in a state of automatism if it is done by the body without control by the mind, (eg it is a spasm or a reflex), or if it is done by a person who is not conscious of what they are doing.

Is automatism defined at common law?

Automatism is a rarely used criminal defence. It is one of the mental condition defences that relate to the mental state of the defendant. ... Automatism means that the defendant was not aware of his or her actions when making the particular movements that constituted the illegal act.