Forensic Psychiatry and the Witness - A Survey

It has been recommended that a course in Forensic Psychiatry be included in the law school curriculum. The gap between law and psychiatry-two fields closely related in many ways, certainly should be narrowed. One of the main "causes of potential justice accidents is the fallibility inherent in testimonial evidence." The effectiveness of a witness' oral testimony depends upon four factors: (1) intelligent observation of the event; (2) clear memory; (3) freedom from any compulsions to color or ignore the truth; and (4) ability to give a vivid description.