If you are a solicitor looking for how to provide the best defense for a defendant that is accused of a crime committed as a result of psychological incapability, you’ll need a strong defense for your court case. But then again, it is not so easy to prove to a judge that an individual deserves the court’s mercy without a legal witness to back the story. In fact, an individual can wind up with severe fines or prison sentence for a crime he/she didn’t commit if there is no legal witness to testify and explain to the courts why the individual committed the so-called crime.

This is where psychiatrist expert witnesses come in. These individuals have undergone apt training to examine and assess your mental health. Since they are certified experts, the court usually takes their word seriously like it’s gospel from a preacher’s mouth. So how exactly can a psychiatric expert witness influence the outcomes of your court case positively? We’ll be answering this question in subsequent paragraphs. But for the sake of the individuals that are not very familiar with Psychiatric expert witness, let’s start with something simpler:

•    Who are psychiatrist expert witnesses?

 A psychiatrist expert witness is a professional psychiatrist that has undergone apt training to be able to comprehend human psychological, behavioural patterns. To put it in simpler terms, a psychiatrist expert witness has practical experience in understanding the mystery of the human personality. Truth be told, some crimes that people commit are usually not of their own inclinations. Instead, it’s the fact that their mood or psychological state of mind at that point in time was not as it should be. So if you are accused of a crime and you are able to prove to the court and the jury that your actions when you committed the crime were influenced by your state of mind. By law, the court will treat your case with a little kindness. In fact, you can even have all the charges filed against you dropped, depending on how solid your psychiatrist expert witness report is. This is basically how it works.

People can carry out violations that a significant number of us would consider unimaginable and inconceivable, yet a psychiatry expert witness can comprehend them. Expert witness psychiatry is the part of medical science that deals with mental/conduct disorders. A psychiatry expert witness has some expertise in deciding if the indicted has emotional wellness issues, a nervousness or temperament issue, if drug misuse is included, or if they have a type of dementia. They achieve this report by speaking privately with the accused and evaluating their medical history, symptoms, and day by day living propensities so as to decide if these elements influenced their crime.

Should I choose a Psychologist or psychiatrist expert for my court case?

There are numerous resemblances among psychologists and psychiatrists, and in some rare cases, they may work hand in hand with each other. Be that as it may, there are vital contrasts in the manner in which they evaluate and treat their patients. While psychiatrists are therapeutically prepared and can recommend drug and treatment plans, psychologists adopt a progressively remedial strategy that revolves around conduct intercession. At the point when a case is charged to a court which requires an expert witness, it is imperative to settle on the correct decision between a psychologist or a psychiatrist.

•    How the testimony of a psychiatrist expert witness can influence your court case?

A Psychiatrist can help the court understand the impact of a person’s mental/emotional wellness on their conduct, and provide counsel on the remedial care that the condition needs. Mental illnesses like Schizophrenia can undermine a person’s capacity to make accurate decisions just as it can motivate the individual to carry out a wrongdoing. In cases like these, a psychiatrist is the best person to explain to the courtroom that the crime was committed under the influence of an acute mental condition.

What’s more, these experts are usually brought before the court to ascertain whether or not an accused is fit to live among the general populace. They also provide insight on whether or not the accused pose a threat to him/herself and whether or not the accused is fit to give sound testimonies in the courtroom. Since Psychiatrist expert witnesses are trained medically to evaluate these individuals, they can counsel the court on how to go about the ruling of the accused’s case. As a matter of fact, they can offer their recommendation on how the defendant would be punished for the crime, in the event that the defendant is found guilty of the crime. For instance, a psychiatrist expert witness can counsel the court to send the defendant to a secured medical health facility instead of incarcerating him or her. 

A secured medical health facility is usually a nicer option since they focus on providing medical care for the accused as opposed to chastising the guilty parties. In jail, there is a high probability of a person’s psychological condition exacerbating, which can prompt self-harm and in worst cases, suicide.

•    Conclusion

For something as serious as a court case, you can’t afford to waste time. Instead, you are to use every resource your disposal to prepare the best defense for your court case. In the event that your court case involves mental, emotional, or traumatic inclinations, you need to get the most suitable expert witness for your case.

If you are concerned about your client’s mental health, and you need an expert witness to explore it further, MEWA can help you find the most suitable psychology or psychiatry experts. We can send you multiple CVs of psychology and psychiatry experts with an explanation from experts re how they can help your case?