RT Article
T1 An evaluation of fitness to stand trial psychiatric reports in Brunei
JF The journal of forensic psychiatry & psychology
VO 32
IS 4
SP 496
OP 505
A1 Ho, Hilda
A1 Farid, Rifai
A2 Farid, Rifai
LA English
YR 2021
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1763010457
AB This study evaluated the application of fitness criteria in pre-trial psychiatric reports prepared for 32 cases sent to psychiatric services in Brunei for assessment of fitness to stand trial over a 3-year period. The primary ICD-10 diagnoses were mental and behavioural disorder due to methyl-amphetamine abuse in 10 (31.2%) cases, schizophrenia in 10 (31.2%) cases, mental retardation in 1 (3.1%) case and acute psychotic disorder in 1 (3.1%) case. Three (9.4%) cases were reported to be unfit to stand trial. Reports for 27(84.4%) cases addressed the person’s ability to understand the charges, 21(65.6%) addressed the ability to decide how to plead, 24(75.0%) addressed the ability to follow court proceedings and 29(90.6%) addressed mental state at the time of the alleged offence. 1(3.1%) addressed the ability to instruct counsel. Of the reports that addressed each criterion, 26 (81.3%) cases were able to understand the charges, 19 (59.4%) were able to decide how to plead, 22 (68.6%) were able to follow court proceedings and 1 (3.1%) was able to instruct counsel. Three(9.4%) cases showed evidence of insanity at the time of the offence. This paper discusses the implications of these findings on the management of mentally disordered offenders in Brunei.
K1 developing country
K1 Mentally disordered offenders
K1 psychiatric reports
K1 insanity in bar of trial
K1 Fitness to stand trial
DO 10.1080/14789949.2020.1864450