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