Legal Definitions - sanae mentis

Definition: Sanae mentis (san-ee men-tis) is a Latin term used in law to describe someone who is of sound mind or sane mind.

Examples:

• Before signing a legal document, the person must be of sanae mentis.
• The court declared the defendant not guilty by reason of insanity, as they were not of sanae mentis at the time of the crime.

The first example illustrates how the term is used to ensure that a person is mentally capable of making a legal decision. The second example shows how the term can be used in a legal context to determine a person's guilt or innocence based on their mental state.