Mental Health and The Law A joint event between York Law School and The Institute of Mental Health Research at York (IMRY)
Event details
The aim of the afternoon is to bring together colleagues from several disciplines across the University and a number of external partners to showcase the breadth of the work undertaken at the University at the intersection of the law and mental health. This is with a view to identifying gaps and generating ideas for future grant applications, studentships/fellowships, pathways to impact and knowledge exchange beyond what already exists.
Registration is open until January 23rd 2024.
Schedule
12:00 Registration and lunch
13:00 Opening remarks
13:15 Presentations by Magda Furgalska and Jane Richards followed by Q&A
14:15 Coffee break
14:45 Presentations by Ailbhe O’Loughlin and Kajsa Dinesson followed by Q&A
15:45 Coffee break
16:15 Presentations on Administrative Fairness Lab and IMRY with Q&A
16:45 Closing remarks
This event is part of IMRY's 'Temple Events' series. IMRY has held "Temple Events" where the pillars were Economics (Money Meets Mind), Education, Biomedicine and Neuroscience, Arts and Humanities - all at the interface with Mental Health.
Accessibility Notes: The room is wheelchair accessible. It has effective equipment including hearing loops and microphones suitable for participants with hearing loss. A fixed microphone and a radio lapel microphone are located on the lectern.
Please note that the venue accessibility details might differ around the time of the event due to facility repairs and/or maintenance. Should you require assistive technology or wheelchair access, please contact the organiser to confirm the details closer to the date.
About the speakers
Dr Kajsa Dinesson
Recent years have seen young neurodiverse defendants, and defendants with mental health problems, increasingly being arrested, prosecuted, and convicted for terrorism offences. It is unclear, however, because of limited data and insight, why this is the case. In this talk I draw on my mixed-methods empirical research to explore the central role that contextual evidence (‘mind-set material’) plays in terrorism cases throughout the criminal justice process and how legal practitioners seem to struggle in practice to separate intent from fantasy, obsessional interests, and curiosity in ways which may disproportionately lead to young autistic men being assessed as dangerous would-be terrorists. I shall consider the need for further research and reform in this area.
Dr Magda Furgalska
My research looks at how people in real life experience various laws related to mental health treatment. I examine those experiences to suggest how to improve the law and practice surrounding psychiatric treatment in line with social justice, fairness and bodily integrity principles. I recently explored the role of advance directives for mental health treatment (aka living wills); I looked at the relationship between law, coercion and the clinical concept called “insight”. I also explored how pregnant women can be supported in making decisions about their health when experiencing a mental health crisis. Currently, I am concerned with analysing how experiences of psychiatric hospital care can be improved.
Dr Ailbhe O'Loughlin
My current research focuses on how judges in England and Wales choose between punitive and therapeutic orders at sentencing for convicted offenders who have a mental disorder, developmental disorder, or neurological impairment. It examines how judges decide whether a given individual belongs in the prison system or the mental health system, and reflects on the contested role of psychiatric expert evidence in court. It further examines how judges grapple with the tensions that arise between the interests of the public and those of offenders with mental health issues or disabilities.
Dr Jane Richards
My research examines the insanity defence. There is a tension in criminal law, between, on the one hand, protecting the public from violence, and on the other, safeguarding the rights of vulnerable defendants who are not responsible for their actions. My work adopts the UN's Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to try to understand whether these competing interests can be reconciled. It considers how to balance the rights of people with mental disabilities who commit egregious crimes, against public safety.
Venue details
Contact
Institute of Mental Health Research at York (IMRY)