The Criminal Procedure Rules 2015

Requests for medical reports, etc.

28.8.—(1) This rule applies where the court—

(a) requests a medical examination of the defendant and a report; or

(b) requires information about the arrangements that could be made for the defendant where the court is considering—

(i) a hospital order, or

(ii) a guardianship order.

(2) Unless the court otherwise directs, the court officer must, as soon as practicable, serve on each person from whom a report or information is sought a note that—

(a) specifies the power exercised by the court;

(b) explains why the court seeks a report or information from that person; and

(c) sets out or summarises any relevant information available to the court.

[Note. The court may request a medical examination of the defendant and a report in connection with—

(a) section 4 of the Criminal Procedure (Insanity) Act 1964(1), under which the Crown Court may determine a defendant’s fitness to plead;

(b) section 35 of the Mental Health Act 1983(2), under which the court may order the defendant’s detention in hospital to obtain a further medical report;

(c) section 36 of the 1983 Act(3), under which the Crown Court may order the defendant’s detention in hospital instead of in custody pending trial;

(d) section 37 of the 1983 Act(4), under which the court may order the defendant’s detention and treatment in hospital, or make a guardianship order, instead of disposing of the case in another way;

(e) section 38 of the 1983 Act(5), under which the court may order the defendant’s temporary detention and treatment in hospital instead of disposing of the case in another way;

(f) section 157 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003(6), under which the court must usually obtain and consider a medical report before passing a custodial sentence if the defendant is, or appears to be, mentally disordered;

(g) section 207 of the 2003 Act(7) (in the case of a defendant aged 18 or over), or section 1(1)(k) of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008(8) (in the case of a defendant who is under 18), under which the court may impose a mental health treatment requirement.

For the purposes of the legislation listed in (a), (d) and (e) above, the court requires the written or oral evidence of at least two registered medical practitioners, at least one of whom is approved as having special experience in the diagnosis or treatment of mental disorder. For the purposes of (b), the court requires one medical practitioner’s evidence. For the purposes of (c), the court requires two medical practitioners’ evidence. For the purposes of (f) and (g), the court requires the evidence of a registered medical practitioner with special experience in the diagnosis or treatment of mental disorder.

Under section 11 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000(9), a magistrates’ court may adjourn a trial to obtain medical reports.

Part 19 (Expert evidence) contains rules about the content of expert medical reports.

For the authorities from whom the court may require information about hospital treatment or guardianship, see sections 39 and 39A of the 1983 Act(10).]

(1)

1964 c. 84; section 4 was substituted, together with section 4A, for section 4 as originally enacted, by section 2 of the Criminal Procedure (Insanity and Unfitness to Plead) Act 1991 (c. 25), and amended by section 22 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 (c. 28).

(2)

1983 c. 20; section 35 was amended by sections 1(4) and 10(1) and (2) of, and paragraphs 1 and 5 of Schedule 1 to, the Mental Health Act 2007 (c. 12) and section 208(1) of, and paragraphs 53 and 54 of Schedule 21 to, the Legal Services Act 2007 (c. 29).

(3)

1983 c. 20; section 36 was amended by sections 1(4), 5(1) and (2) and 10(1) and (3) of, and paragraphs 1 and 6 of Schedule 1 to, the Mental Health Act 2007 (c. 12).

(4)

1983 c. 20; section 37 was amended by Schedule 6 and paragraph 12 of Schedule 4 to the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 (c. 43), paragraph 11 of Schedule 4 to the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 (c. 23), paragraph 90 of Schedule 9 to the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 (c. 6), paragraphs 37 and 38 of Schedule 32 to, the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (c. 44), sections 49 and 65 of, and paragraph 2 of Schedule 1 and Schedule 5 to, the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 (c. 38), sections 1, 4, 10, 55 and paragraphs 1 and 7 of Schedule 1, and Part 1 of Schedule 11 to, the Mental Health Act 2007 (c. 12), and sections 6 and 149 of, and paragraph 30 of Schedule 4, and Schedule 28 to, the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (c. 4) and section 142 of, and paragraph 1 of Schedule 19 and paragraph 2 of Schedule 26 to, the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10). It is further amended by section 148 of, and paragraph 8 of Schedule 26 to, the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (c. 4) and section 28 of, and paragraph 1 of Schedule 5 to, the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 (c. 2), with effect from dates to be appointed.

(5)

1983 c. 20; section 38 was amended by section 49(1) of the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 (c. 43), sections 1(4) and 10(1) and (5) of, and paragraphs 1 and 8 of Schedule 1 to, the Mental Health Act 2007 (c. 12) and section 208(1) of, and paragraphs 53 and 56 of Schedule 21 to, the Legal Services Act 2007 (c. 29).

(6)

2003 c. 44.

(7)

2003 c. 44; section 207 was amended by article 4(2) of, and paragraph 7 of Schedule 5 to, S.I. 2009/1182, article 14(a) and (b) of, and Part 1 of Schedule 5 to, S.I. 2010/813, section 72 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7) and section 73 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10).

(8)

2008 c. 4.

(9)

2000 c. 6.

(10)

1983 c. 20; section 39 was amended by sections 2(1) and 5(1) of, and paragraph 107(5) of Schedule 1, and Schedule 3 to, the Health Authorities Act 1995 (c. 17), section 2(5) of, and paragraphs 42 and 46 of Schedule 2 to, the National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002 (c. 17) , section 31(1) and (2) of the Mental Health Act 2007 (c. 12) and paragraph 13(1) and (8) of article 3 of, S.I. 2007/961. Section 39A was inserted by section 27(1) of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 (c. 53).