Rix's Expert Psychiatric Evidence

Rix's Expert Psychiatric Evidence is a resource manual and guide for psychiatrists who provide expert testimony. It covers the entire expert psychiatric witness journey, from training and negotiation of instructions, through medicolegal assessment, report preparation, experts' meetings and joint statements, and conferences with counsel, to giving evidence in court along with advice on keeping up to date. Introductory chapters include essential information on the law of expert evidence and the different procedures in the criminal, civil, family and coroners' courts. It now includes in depth information on all eight jurisdictions of the British Isles. It is richly illustrated with reported and unreported cases including many important ones from the previous ten years, particularly relating to vulnerable witnesses and defendants. The book is supplemented by a library of online letters, forms, a new format report template and other documents which can be downloaded and adapted by readers for their own use.

    All relevant case law, statute law, procedure, rules and guidance are together in a single volume, meaning readers won't need to look elsewhere for further information
    Packed with practical guidance, readers will quickly be able to write reports that have maximum impact in assisting the administration of justice
    Addresses the interface between psychiatry and the law
    Will be of value to both the experienced and the novice witness

Contents

1. The expert medical witness Keith Rix
2. Courts, laws and procedures Keith Rix
3. Training, development and the maintenance of expertise Keith Rix
4. Business matters Danny Allen and Keith Rix
5. The medicolegal consultation Keith Rix
6. The report, amendments, answers to questions, experts' meetings and conferences Keith Rix
7. Reports for criminal proceedings and in prison cases Keith Rix and Rajan Nathan
8. Personal injury cases Laurence Mynors-Wallis and Keith Rix
9. Reports for family proceedings relating to children Keith Rix, Rajan Nathan and Karl Rowley
10. Reports in cases involving capacity Keith Rix
11. Reports for the First-Tier Tribunal (Health, Education and Social Care Chamber) Mental Health Chris Jones and Srikanth Nimmagadda
12. Reports in immigration and asylum cases Cornelius Katona, Andrew Leak and David Rhys Jones
13. Reports in employment, disability discrimination and pension cases James Briscoe, Gareth Vincenti and Keith Rix
14. Reports for fitness to practise, conduct and performance proceedings Gareth Vincenti
15. Coroners courts and fatal accident inquiries Laurence Mynors-Wallis and Keith Rix
16. How to read an expert medical report Anthony Howard and Keith Rix
17. Going to court Keith Rix
References
Appendix A: specimen criminal report on Daniel MacNaughtan
Appendix B: specimen personal injury report on Charles Dickens
Index
Appendix 1: letter of response to request for a report
Appendix 2: time sheet
Appendix 3: cost estimates
Appendix 4: sample contract for litigants-in-person soliciting reports
Appendix 5: file front sheet
Appendix 6: appointment letter
Appendix 7: information to accompany appointment letter
Appendix 8: consent form for medicolegal report
Appendix 9: General Data Protection Regulation consent form
Appendix 10: privacy notice
Appendix 11: notes of history and examination findings for Appendix B
Appendix 12: declaration for an expert report in the Republic of Ireland
Appendix 13: additional declaration for Experts in England and Wales instructed by the Prosecution only
Appendix 14: expert witness self-certificate for Experts in England and Wales instructed by the Prosecution only
Appendix 15: report covering letter.

Professor Keith Rix has been involved in the forensic field since the 1960's. He has been providing expert witness evidence for over 38 years. He is Visiting Professor of Medical Jurisprudence, University of Chester, Honorary Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust and Mental Health and Intellectual Disability Lead, Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians.

Dr Mynors-Wallis has been a consultant psychiatrist for over 25 years. He won the Laughlin Prize for the best results in the membership examination of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Recently he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the Royal College of Psychiatrists for his 'outstanding contribution to psychiatry'. He was a Trust Medical Director for 15 years. From 2010–2015 he was the Registrar of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in which role he was responsible for professional standards, revalidation and national policy. He has considerable experience of medico-legal work, particularly in the fields of personal injury, clinical negligence and capacity.

Dr Ciaran Craven Senior Counsel practised medicine for a number of years before being called to the Bar of Ireland where he works mainly in the areas of medical and mental health law. A member of the Bar of England and Wales (Gray's Inn) and of the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians, he teaches Medical Law on the University of Dublin, Trinity College, MSc in Health Services Management.