Criminal
In the criminal justice system, mental health problems can serve as important mitigating factors. As well as influencing the actions of an individual during the commission of an offence, mental health difficulties may also affect their ability to provide reliable evidence or testify in court.
Clinical Psychology Associates provides comprehensive assessments that inform the court of the extent to which mental health problems, underlying personality disturbance or cognitive impairment may have influenced a defendant’s actions. Where relevant, the identification of malingering or the feigning of symptoms of psychological distress is an important aspect of this process.
The following are examples of instructions that have been received by our clinical psychologists from instructing parties acting for both prosecution and defence:
- Assessment of the mental health and personality of an individual who was unable to provide a sample following their arrest for driving while under the influence of illegal substances
- Assessment of the psychological impact on an individual of a serious physical assault
- Assessment of the ability to testify for the prosecution in a human trafficking case of an individual with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health problems
- Assessment of the mental health of an individual who failed to stop and report a road traffic accident
- Assessment of post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health problems in an individual alleged to have committed attempted murder
- Assessment of the cognitive functioning and risk of re-offending of an individual charged with indecent exposure
- Assessment of the mental health and personality of an individual who committed arson
- Assessment of malingering in relation to mental health problems in an individual alleged to have fraudulently claimed incapacity benefit
- Provision of expert witness testimony in criminal courts on behalf of both the prosecution and defence