Two Roads Converge: The Interchange Between the Mental Health and Legal Discourses in Sexual Assault Trials

IF 1.4 2区社会学 Q2 CRIMINOLOGY & PENOLOGY

Social & Legal Studies Pub Date : 2022-08-05 DOI:10.1177/09646639221117388

I. Cohen, Tali Gal, G. Enosh

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引用次数: 1

Abstract

Disciplinary differences between mental health and legal discourses limit the implementation of mental health knowledge (MHK) in legal proceedings. This study examined the interchange between these discourses, focusing on sexual assault cases that required testimonies of mental health expert witnesses (MHEWs) in Israel. 42 multi-perspective interviews including 16 MHEWs and 26 legal practitioners were analyzed using critical discourse analysis. Participants’ statements relayed three depictions of the interchange between mental health and legal discourses: a dichotomized one, which regards both discourses as incompatible; a tactical one, which regards MHK as beneficial when serving legal interests; and a radical one, which regards MHK as imperative to legal discretion, placing therapeutic considerations ahead of legal ones. The study provides a first empirical analysis of the law-mental-health interchange. In particular, it identifies an emerging practice of therapeutic-legal ("theralegal") discretion, which reflects an understanding that legal considerations alone cannot address complex criminal legal issues.

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两条路交汇:性侵审判中心理健康与法律话语的互换

心理健康与法律话语的学科差异限制了心理健康知识在法律诉讼中的运用。本研究考察了这些话语之间的交流，重点研究了以色列需要心理健康专家证人(MHEWs)证词的性侵犯案件。使用批判性话语分析分析了42个多视角访谈，其中包括16个MHEWs和26个法律从业者。与会者的发言对心理健康和法律话语之间的相互作用有三种描述:一种是二分法，认为这两种话语是不相容的;一种是战术性的，认为MHK在为法律利益服务时是有益的;另一种是激进的，认为MHK是法律自由裁量权的必要条件，将治疗考虑置于法律考虑之前。该研究首次对法律-心理-健康交换进行了实证分析。特别是，它确定了一种新兴的治疗-法律(“治疗-法律”)自由裁量权实践，这反映了一种理解，即仅靠法律考虑无法解决复杂的刑事法律问题。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Social & Legal Studies Multiple-

CiteScore

3.30

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： SOCIAL & LEGAL STUDIES was founded in 1992 to develop progressive, interdisciplinary and critical approaches towards socio-legal study. At the heart of the journal has been a commitment towards feminist, post-colonialist, and socialist economic perspectives on law. These remain core animating principles. We aim to create an intellectual space where diverse traditions and critical approaches within legal study meet. We particularly welcome work in new fields of socio-legal study, as well as non-Western scholarship.