Psychiatric expert evidence and the new partial defences of diminished responsibility and loss of control [Articles]

Psychiatric expert witnesses instructed to undertake assessments of defendants charged with murder should be familiar with the partial defences of diminished responsibility and loss of control. The Coroners and Justice Act 2009 enacted major amendments to the partial defence of diminished responsibility and introduced a new defence of loss of control to replace the provocation partial defence. In this article, the changes to the law are described with particular focus on the implications for the psychiatric assessment.

Source: Advances in Psychiatric Treatment - June 30, 2016 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Nathan, R., Medland, S. Tags: Articles Source Type: research