Forensic Psychiatry

Forensic psychiatry Aims to determine the extent to which a person suffering from mental disorder be held responsible for his behavior

Objectives At the end of lecture you should be able to determine whether or not a patient suffering from mental disorder can be 1.Treated without his consent 2.Regarded as unfit to plead 3.Declared not guilty 4.Detained for indefinite period

Who has mental illness Cannot be considered mentally ill on grounds of  immoral conduct  sexual deviancy  dependence on drugs

Mental illness, arrested development of mind, psychopathic disorder, any other disorder or disability of mind

Compulsory admission • Severity of mental disorder appropriate • Compulsory admission needed for • patient’s health • Patient’s safety • protection of others

Patients involved in criminal proceedings • Person convicted of an imprisonable offence to be detained and treated in hospital • Restricts discharge of "dangerous" patients • “Not guilty by reason of insanity" or "unfit to plead" (too mentally disordered to know right from wrong) • verdict of "Diminished responsibility" can reduce a murder verdict to one of manslaughter