Brock University’s Forensic Psychology and Criminal Justice (FPAC) program will welcome the Honourable Justice Richard D. Schneider as the first presenter in its newly launched speaker series.

On Wednesday, Jan. 26 at 2 p.m., Schneider will virtually present a talk, “The Interface of Mental Disorder and the Law.” During the session, he will discuss his major research interests of fitness to stand trial and verdicts of ‘not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder,’ and also respond to questions from the audience.

Voula Marinos, Director of the FPAC program and an Associate Professor in Brock’s Department of Child and Youth Studies, says she is excited to launch the series, which will provide a forum for discussion and give students the opportunity to dive into critical issues in their field.

“The Honourable Justice Schneider, our first speaker, is a central figure in the field of forensics in Ontario,” says Marinos. “As the Head of the Ontario Review Board, a mental health court judge and a legal scholar, his experiences and insights into mental health and the law will surely provide us with the most up-to-date challenges facing the intersections of multiple systems and those who interact with these systems.”

Schneider was appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice in 2000 and also serves as Deputy Judge of the Territorial Court of Yukon, among other key roles. He has often presided at the Mental Health Court in Toronto.

Previously, he worked as a criminal defence lawyer, certified clinical psychologist, and Counsel to the Ontario Review Board and devoted his private practice in criminal litigation to the representation of mentally disordered accused.

The talk is free to attend and open to the public, but advance registration is required. For more information on the talk or on the FPAC program, which welcomed its first students in the fall, please email Katie Thompson, FPAC Program Co-ordinator.

Details on future events in the Forensic Psychology and Criminal Justice Speaker Series will be posted to the FPAC website as they become available.