Introduction

The cases summarized in Part 9 are taken from the most recent list of landmark cases published by the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. This list was originally published by the Academy in 1993. In 1999, the Academy – working in conjunction with the Association of Directors of Forensic Psychiatry Training Programs – reviewed and revised the list, dropping some of the older cases and adding new cases that break new ground at the interface of psychiatry and law. The Academy and the Association of Directors have designated what are, in their view, the most important cases in the field, a knowledge of which is required for a broad understanding of the field of Forensic Psychiatry. The composition of any such list of favorite cases is always debatable. Cases may be added to the list for a variety of reasons, and readers will no doubt find some important cases missing. Given the nature of forensic psychiatry, there are bound to be endless arguments about such a list (e.g., ‘Why include Washington v. United States and not United States v. Brawner?’).