Contents

Disclaimer

Oxford University Press makes no representation, express or implied, that the drug dosages in this book are correct. Readers must therefore always check the product information and clinical procedures with the most up to date published product information and data sheets provided by the manufacturers and the most recent codes of conduct and safety regulations. The authors and the publishers do not accept responsibility or legal liability for any errors in the text or for the misuse or misapplication of material in this work. Except where otherwise stated, drug dosages and recommendations are for the non-pregnant adult who is not breastfeeding.

Show Summary Details
Page of

The expert witness in the Criminal Court: assessment, reports, and testimony 

The expert witness in the Criminal Court: assessment, reports, and testimony
Chapter:
The expert witness in the Criminal Court: assessment, reports, and testimony
Author(s):

John O’Grady

DOI:
10.1093/med/9780199696758.003.0268
Page of

PRINTED FROM OXFORD MEDICINE ONLINE (www.oxfordmedicine.com). © Oxford University Press, 2021. All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the licence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of a title in Oxford Medicine Online for personal use (for details see Privacy Policy and Legal Notice).

date: 24 July 2021

As an expert witness in the Criminal Court, the psychiatrist ceases to be simply a doctor as a psychiatrist's report and testimony addresses issues on the boundary between law and psychiatry. The law is not primarily concerned with the welfare of the defendant. Criminal law is concerned with justice, fact finding, and the attribution of guilt whilst psychiatry concerns itself with the welfare of the individual, their mental disorder, and its treatment. This chapter will explore the legal framework for expert reports and testimony, standards for such work, the particular ethical dilemmas of this work and provide practical guidance on preparation of reports and testimony. This chapter draws upon previously published work by the author. Expert evidence cannot be understood except in reference to a particular legal jurisdiction. For this chapter the legal system in the United Kingdom is chosen but the general principles will apply to all jurisdictions. Issues specific to Civil and Family courts will not be discussed.

Access to the complete content on Oxford Medicine Online requires a subscription or purchase. Public users are able to search the site and view the abstracts for each book and chapter without a subscription.

Please subscribe or login to access full text content.

If you have purchased a print title that contains an access token, please see the token for information about how to register your code.

For questions on access or troubleshooting, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.