Adjudicative Competence

Adjudicative competence is the perceived ability of an individual to stand trial for a crime, particularly the ability to understand the case against them and to actively participate in their own defense. For instance a person is accused of a crime but then claims that he didn't know what he did was wrong. It is then the duty of the court to ascertain whether or not that person has the intellect and mental/psychological stability to work with their lawyer to create an appropriate case.