Event date:
Wednesday 22 January to Thursday 23 January
Time:
18:00
Location:
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh 9 Queen Street, Edinburgh, EH2 1JQ
Date: 22 January 2020
Title: Forensic Psychiatry: From Plato to the Modern ‘Insanity’ Defence
Times: 6pm – 7pm
Cost: £3
Speaker: John Crichton, Chair of RCPsych in Scotland
Description:
In Scotland's enlightenment a bride stabs her husband on their wedding night; a nobleman kills his brother; a veteran kills his devoted wife - who then pleads mercy for him on her deathbed.
Over centuries the law has recognised that those with mental disorders may not be held accountable for their actions - but even if acquitted they may not necessarily go free. This talk will consider the origins of Scotland's 'insanity' law and what ancient themes are still relevant today.