Gutheil T G
Program in Psychiatry and the Law at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston 02115, USA.
Psychiatr Serv. 1999 Jun;50(6):767-73. doi: 10.1176/ps.50.6.767.
Psychiatrists share with the public some confusion and uncertainty about two highly visible forensic psychiatric examinations: competence to stand trial and criminal responsibility (insanity). The author reviews the content and context of these examinations, examines legal issues that define and underlie them, and clarifies commonly encountered areas of ambiguity and misunderstanding. The competence examination, which assesses a defendant's ability to participate in the trial process, focuses on the present state of the defendant's mental capacities. Two standards generally used are whether the defendant has a rational and factual understanding of the charges and penalties and has the ability to cooperate with the defense attorney. The examination for insanity is one of the most challenging and comprehensive in forensic psychiatry. The criteria in general address the defendant's awareness of the fact that the act was illegal, wrong, or a crime. Additional criteria address the defendant's ability to control behavior.
精神病医生与公众一样，对两项备受瞩目的法医精神病学检查存在一些困惑和不确定性：受审能力和刑事责任（精神错乱）。作者回顾了这些检查的内容和背景，审视了界定并构成其基础的法律问题，并澄清了常见的模糊和误解领域。受审能力检查评估被告参与审判过程的能力，重点关注被告当前的心理能力状态。通常使用的两个标准是被告是否对指控和刑罚有合理且符合事实的理解，以及是否有能力与辩护律师合作。精神错乱检查是法医精神病学中最具挑战性和综合性的检查之一。一般标准涉及被告对该行为属非法、错误或犯罪这一事实的认知。其他标准涉及被告控制行为的能力。
