THE OUTCOME OF FORENSIC PSYCHIATRIC ASSESSMENT A Study of Remands in Six Canadian Cities

This article summarizes data collected from 248 pretrial cases assessed by forensic psychiatrists for the criminal courts in six Canadian cities during July 1978. The discussion focuses upon purposes for court referrals, statutes employed for psychiatric remands, characteristics of forensic patients, diagnoses and recommendations rendered by clini-cians, and the relationship between psychiatric recommendation and judicial outcome. It is suggested that legal and policy analysis of the court-ordered forensic assessment to date is lacking in detail and comprehensiveness, and that research needs to be directed more toward the decision-making and referral practices of the courts. he physical and mental presence of accused persons is considered an integral component of the criminal trial process. &dquo;Since the mid-seventeenth century, the common-law at PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV on September 17, 2016cjb.sagepub.comDownloaded from 472 rule has been that one cannot be required to plead to an indictment or stand trial when so disordered as to be incapable o