The question of whether capital punishment should be
inflicted on the criminally insane is one for the Universal House of Justice to
decide. Such people, however, not being responsible for their actions, will not
suffer any spiritual effect from acts committed while mentally deranged....
- Shoghi Effendi (From a message dated 25 August 1939 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an
individual believer; ‘Messages to Canada’)
