FOR80090 - Criminal Law and the Justice System

(3 units)

This course will focus primarily on the legal standards used by mental health professionals in the criminal justice system including 1) competence to stand trial evaluations, 2) mental state at the time of the offense (mens rea and the insanity defense), and 3) the assessment of risk/prediction of future dangerousness. This course will draw on research in clinical psychology to examine evidence law (e.g., eyewitness testimony, polygraphy, expert testimony), procedure (e.g., line-ups, trial conduct, jury selection, settlement negotiations), and other various topics in criminal law. The content of the course will be about evenly divided between understanding the legal issues involved in criminal and the practical application of psychological principals and knowledge.