This seminar is aimed at both lawyers and doctors or other expert witnesses. There will be a number of eminent speakers from both the legal and medical/scientific field to provide an interdisciplinary perspective on the defence of automatism and the provision of medical evidence to support or refute this defence. In addition, Professor David Ormerod, Criminal Law Commissioner, will be speaking about the consultation by the Law Commission on reform of the law on insanity and automatism, followed by a discussion.

The aim of the seminar is to educate doctors and lawyers about the medico-legal issues of automatism, encourage inter-professional dialogue and generate a discussion about the issues and possible reforms.

Programme:
10.30-10.55 Registration and tea, coffee and biscuits
10.55-11.00 Conference opening address by Professor Martin Wasik (Keele)
11.00-11.30 Professor RD Mackay (Law School, De Montfort University, Leicester) speaking on ‘The current law on automatism’ The case law, guiding principles of the law on automatism, and the distinction between insane and non-insane automatism.
11.30-12.00  Dr Irshaad Ebrahim on ‘The medico-legal approach to automatism’ How I evaluate the defendant who claims to have been in a state of automatism.
12.00-12.30 Dr Lisa Claydon (UWE School of Law) on ‘Neuroscience and the law’ How neuroscience can help in the assessment of criminal responsibility
12.30-13.10 Questions

13.10-14.00 Lunch
14.00-14.30 Professor Jim Horne (Sleep Research Centre, Loughborough University) on ‘Sleep-related crashes’ The issues of driver fault in sleep-related crashes and how to assess possibly sleep-related incidents.
14.30-1500 Dr Chris Idzikowski (Sleep expert, Edinburgh Sleep Centre) on ‘Evaluating those involved in putative sleep-related incidents’
15.00-15.30 Professor Vincent Marks (Expert witness on hypoglycaemia) on ‘Hypoglycaemia and automatism’ The evaluation of hypoglycaemia-related crime, especially driving offences, with particular reference to the issue of prior fault.
15.30-16.10 Questions
16.10-16.25 Tea, coffee and biscuits
16.25- 16.55 Professor David Ormerod (Criminal Law Commissioner) on ‘The Reform of the Law on Automatism and Insanity’ A report on the progress of the consultation
16.55-17.40 Discussion of the consultation and reforms

To register, please contact:  Tracey Wood at t.wood@keele.ac.uk by May 17^th 2013 at the latest.

There is a nominal fee to cover the costs of hosting the conference – this is £20 for students and £40 for everyone else (except for Keele/UHNS staff for which there is no charge).

CPD points are being applied for (both medical and legal).