The extended programme for the Mason Institute Medicolegal Symposium has now been released:
Medicolegal Symposium: Aspects of Neuro Law
Friday 13th November – Saturday 14th November 2015
St Leonard’s Hall, The University of Edinburgh
Friday 13th November
12.15 Registration desk opens. Tea and Coffee available on arrival
13.00 Welcome and Introduction to Neurolaw – Dr John Rumbold
13.30 Automatism and moral agency/criminal responsibility – Prof Neil Levy
14.30 Afternoon Tea/Coffee
14.45 Agency – Dr Lisa Claydon
15.30 Behavioural Assessments and the use of Neuroimaging in the criminal trial – Paul Catley/Dr Rajan (Taj) Nathan
CONFERENCE DINNER 19.00 for 19.30, St Trinnean’s, University of Edinburgh
Saturday 14th November
09:00 Psychiatric Expert Work – Prof Keith Rix
10:00 Arguing Automatism in Court – TBA
11:00 Morning Tea/Coffee
11:15 Parasomnia or Dissociation: Complex Nocturnal Behaviour – Dr Ian Morrison
12.00 A Medico Legal Dilemma – Dr Renata Riha
13:00 Lunch
13:45 Psychotropic Drugs and Automatism – Prof David Healy
14:45 Law Commission Reforms of the Law on Insanity and Automatism – short presentations by Prof Ronnie Mackay and Dr John Rumbold followed by discussion
16:15 Tea and Coffee
16.30 Compulsive disorders related to Parkinson’s Disease Treatments – Dr Ian Morrison/Dr John Rumbold
17.30 Closing comments
17.35 Conference ends
Medico-legal Symposium: Aspects of Neurolaw
This symposium aims to provide up-to-date information on the theory and practice of neurolaw including sleep disorders and neuroimaging. This symposium is aimed at lawyers and medics. One of the main purposes of the course is to promote dialogue between the two professions, and so there is plenty of time included for discussion. This proved a successful feature of the previous medico-legal seminar, held at Keele University. The audience will be a mixture of practising and academic lawyers and medics.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand and be able to explain the concept of neurolaw
- Be able to identify and discuss some of the philosophical questions about what constitutes legal automatism
- Understand and be able to explain the issues in applying neuroscience to legal questions, particularly criminal responsibility
- Be able to identify the legal requirements for mental condition defences
- Be able to apply medical evidence to the legal criteria for particular mental condition defences
- Be able to demonstrate understanding of how particular medical conditions affect criminal responsibility
- Be able to demonstrate understanding of the effects of particular drugs on criminal responsibility
- Be able to apply medical evidence to sentencing decisions
- Be able to demonstrate the principles for giving expert testimony
- Understand and describe the differences between legal and medical perspectives on responsibility for actions
- Understand the limitations of medical and neuroscientific evidence
- Understand the terms of the debate about mental condition defences in the UK and potential reforms that have been proposed by the Law Commission
These learning objectives will be assessed by a questionnaire sent out to delegates which they can return for marking (voluntary). Delegates will also be asked to assess the course via a feedback sheet.