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Handbook of Forensic Psychiatric Practice in Capital Cases


Te mercy stage will be the only post trial stage at which mental health evidence is considered in mitigation, in jurisdictions where the death penalty is mandatory. Te presence of mental disorder will therefore be particularly important to describe in these jurisdictions. Although there is a legal requirement for legal representation at a mercy hearing, there are no legal tests established relevant to the exercise of mercy. Indeed, this is unsurprising given that the hearing is not a court hearing, but a hearing conducted by the executive. Te extent or severity of mental disorder that will carry weight in determining the exercise of mercy is therefore uncertain. However, the following issues might arise and may be relevant.


The nature of mental disorder


Tere is relatively clear legal authority that severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia or mental retardation will result in mercy, but it is less clear whether milder (less than diagnosable) mental retardation, personality disorder or milder forms of mental illness, such as less than psychotic depression, will likely result in the exercise of mercy.


Clinical assessment


Since there are no legally defined criteria for the exercise of mercy – merely an argument that, in natural justice, mercy should be extended to some suffering from mental disorder – there can be no detailed advice on clinical assessment. Rather, the reader might reasonably cull advice from foregoing chapters as seems likely to be useful.


Reporting for a mercy hearing


Again the lack of specific legal criteria for the exercise of mercy determines that it is sensible to take individual instructions from the defendant’s lawyer in each case, and to draft the report in response to whatever questions are posed to you.


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