Forensic Psychiatry

Forensic Psychiatry is the first book to cover the clinical, legal and ethical issues for the treatment of mentally disordered offenders for all of the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland jurisdictions. Written by an expert interdisciplinary team from the fields of both law and psychiatry, including the eminent Nigel Eastman who has engaged with many high-profile legal cases, this is a comprehensive and up-to-date guide which includes clinical observations, guidance and ethical advice across the psychiatric discipline. Uniquely focusing on the interface between psychiatry and law and including suggestions, using case examples, on how to navigate this interface successfully, this book contains clear guidance on all aspects of forensic psychiatry, for both mental health and legal professionals. It also contains extensive cross-referencing which allows the reader to access all the relevant clinical, legal and ethical information quickly and effectively. Alongside the practical advice on managing clinical and legal situations, there are also case examples, summaries of relevant legislation and introductions to different ethical approaches and clinical observations, derived from the experience of the authors. Also included are brief summaries of important legal cases and inquiries relevant to the subject. Reviews I learnt something from every page I read, either about psychiatry and mental disorder or about how experienced mental health professionals perceive the workings of the law relating to their field. The book is well written and clearly set out, with useful vignettes illustrating the points being made. The knowledge, wisdom and humanity of the authors shine through the book and make it a real pleasure, as well as an education, to read. (Lucy Scott-Moncrieff, President Elect of the Law Society ) A careful reading of its content will enable the practitioner to progress unscathed through this minefield of conflicting paradigms and constructs. Encyclopaedic in its scope, thorough and fair-minded in its analysis, it sets the standard against which other texts in its field will be judged in the future. (Conor Duggan, Emeritus Professor of Forensic Mental Health, University of Nottingham, UK ) The relationship between criminal law and mental disorder is not one-dimensional nor is it by any means fixed. The great skill of the authors, all leaders in their field, is to bring the two disciplines together in one text and explain the relationship in a practical and effective manner consistent with their stated aim of enabling readers to find out key facts and issues within a given topic simply, rapidly, and in an easily digestible form. Given the breadth of coverage, the complexities of the issues and fact-sensitive nature of the relationship between law and psychiatry, that is an incredible achievement. This handbook is an invaluable must, not only for those lawyers and clinicians working at the interface between law and psychiatry, but also to anyone interested in understanding how our society approaches some of the most difficult and testing examples of mental disorder and offending behaviour. (Mr Keir Starmer QC ) The expertise of Professor Nigel Eastman and his co-authors need no emphasis from me. This handbook will undoubtedly be of great benefit to all those whose professional life takes them into the Court of Protection. Part IV gives an admirably clear guide to help non lawyers understand our various justice systems, both as to law and procedure. The clarity of this section and the absence of technical language offers real encouragement to the newcomer. The introduction to case law within the appendices is particularly useful for its compression to the single relevant significance of each of the well selected cases. (Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Thorpe, Head of International Family Justice for England & Wales ) Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION TO THE HANDBOOK; 2. CLINICAL FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY; Clinical and social aspects of crime; Mental disorders in forensic psychiatry; Assessment in forensic psychiatry; Risk assessment; Treatment; Risk management; Forensic psychiatry services; 3. THE ETHICS OF FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY; Ethical decision-making; Professional duties and personal integrity; Conflicting ethical values; Clinical situations raising ethical issues; 4. LAW RELEVANT TO PSYCHIATRY; The interface between psychiatry and law; Legal systems; Criminal law; Mental health and mental capacity law; 5. PSYCHIATRY WITHIN THE LEGAL SYSTEM; The criminal justice system; Legal tests relevant to psychiatry; Civil legal issues; The psychiatrist in court; Applied ethics and testimony; Providing reports; Giving evidence; 6. APPENDICES; Appendices Nigel Eastman (Author), Gwen Adshead (Author), Simone Fox (Author), Richard Latham (Author), Seán Whyte (Author)