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 191-413 Psychiatry and Law

Note

Available as 191-313 at 3rd-year level.

This subject has a quota of 60 enrolments. Candidates intending to take this subject must complete a quota form available from the Arts Faculty when enrolling in this subject.

Credit Points

16.7 3rd and 4th year

Coordinator

Ms D Greig

Prerequisites

3rd year: Any two second year level Criminology subjects; 4th year: Admission to Criminology Honours.

Semester

1

Contact

A 1-hour lecture, a 2-hour seminar and no more than 12 hours of visits and interviews

Subject Description

This unit explores some areas of interaction between psychiatry and the law and seeks to identify the various facets of legal/medical discourse. It focuses on three areas: What is madness? How do we know this? What should we do about it? Specific topics will cover definitional problems, the different focus of law and psychiatry, civil commitment, de-institutionalisation, mental health legislation, rights of the mentally ill, care and containment in forensic psychiatry, the concept of criminal responsibility, syndrome evidence, diagnostic and treatment issues, concepts of dangerousness, the role of the expert witness and ethical issues.

Assessment

Up to 5000 words of written work at 3rd year level and 6000 words at 4th year level. An examination may be substituted for part of the written work.

Prescribed Texts

Mental Health Act 1986.



Search : Index : Faculty of Arts : Criminology
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