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.

Table of Contents

Part I: Introduction to the handbook
1: Introduction
Part II: Clinical forensic psychiatry
2: Clinical and social aspects of crime
3: Mental disorders in forensic psychiatry
4: Assessment in forensic psychiatry
5: Risk assessment
6: Treatment
7: Risk management
8: Forensic psychiatric services
Part III: The ethics of forensic psychiatry
9: Ethnical decision-making
10: Professional duties and personal integrity
11: Conflicting ethical values
12: Clinical situations raising ethical issues
Part IV: Law relevant to psychiatry
13: The interface between psychiatry and law
14: Legal systems
15: Criminal Law
16: Mental health and mental capacity law
Part V: Psychiatry within the legal system
17: The criminal justice system
18: Legal tests relevant to psychiatry
19: Civil legal issues
20: The psychiatrist in court
21: Applied ethics and testimony
22: Providing reports
23: Giving evidence
Appendices