Main description:

Automatism is a notoriously difficult subject for law students, lawyers and judges. This book explores the science and medicine of sleep disorders and examines how the criminal process deals with such disorders when presented as a defence. It systematically examines the legal doctrines involved, and their implications for the use of the evidence key to establishing automatism, while also exploring the medical conditions that can cause automatism (particularly epilepsy, sleepwalking and diabetes). This book is a valuable resource for law students, lawyers, judges and expert witnesses.

Contents:

1: Foreword; 2: Chapter 1 Automatism: What is it?; 3: Chapter 2 Legal Aspects of Automatism; 4: Chapter 3 Medical Aspects of Automatism; 5: Chapter 4 Specific causes of automatism; 6: Chapter 5 Criminal Law Theory; 7: Chapter 6 Expert evidence; 8: Chapter 7 Conclusions; 9: Glossary; 10: Bibliography; 11: Appendices A-F; 12: Case Histories; 13: Index