NATIONAL LEGAL AND POLICY FRAMEWORK CONCERNING DEFENDANTS AND PERSONS DEPRIVED OF LIBERTY WITH INTELLECTUAL AND/OR PSYCHOSOCIAL DISABILITIES IN LAW AND PRACTICE 42 or found to be not criminally responsible, as well as by persons deemed to have ‘mental disabilities’ (Lt. ‘psichinė negalia’ – in Lithuania, this outdated term still refers to both intellectual and psychosocial disabilities), which are deemed to impede the exercise of the right of defence. The right of defence may be exercised only when the suspect or accused person is able to exercise all the rights conferred on them and to fulfil their legal obligations.43 The basis of a suspect's or accused person's legal capacity is the ability to consciously choose the appropriate course of action, to anticipate the consequences of a particular conduct, and to assess which remedies are best suited to the defence.44 Thus, in case of doubt as to the fitness to stand trial of suspects or accused persons, it is necessary to assess the following: 1) the ability to understand and testify to the circumstances relevant to the case (comparing existing ‘mental disabilities’ with an ‘intellectual’ criterion (for more details see the sub-section on Temporary Apprehension); 2) ability to defend the rights and legitimate interests independently (comparing ‘mental disabilities’ with three criteria: ‘wilfulness’ (absence of ‘mental deficiencies’ allowing to actively exercise the rights and responsibilities); ‘intellectual’; and ‘memory’ (for more details see the sub-section on Temporary Apprehension).45 Kanapeckaitė J. (2003). Įtariamųjų (kaltinamųjų) fiziniai arba psichiniai trūkumai bei jų reikšmė įgyvendinant teisę į gynybą. 44 Kanapeckaitė J. Baudžiamasis procesas dėl nusikalstamų veikų, kuriomis įtariami (kaltinami) asmenys su fiziniais ar psichikos trūkumais (sutrikimais): daktaro dis. soc. mokslai: teisė (01S) / LTU. - V., 2004. P.22. 45 Kanapeckaitė J. Baudžiamasis procesas dėl nusikalstamų veikų, kuriomis įtariami (kaltinami) asmenys su fiziniais ar psichikos trūkumais (sutrikimais): daktaro dis. soc. mokslai: teisė (01S)/ LTU.- V., 2004. P.23. 43