Browsing by Author "Kaliski, S"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Open Access
    Chapter 6: Proposed revisions of the criminal procedure Act, 1977 (Act No. 51 of 1977)
    (Edutech, 2023) Kaliski, S; Sokudela, F; Calitz, F; Pillay, A; Mulutsi, E; Motaung, M; Moabelo, K; Mbedzi, B; Kaliski, Sean
    This legislative proposal document, compiled by a specialized Department of Health Task Team led by Prof S. Kaliski, outlines strategic amendments to Sections 77, 78, and 79 of the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA), 1977, alongside a concurrent review of Chapter 6 of the Mental Health Care Act, 2002. The primary objective of these interventions is to resolve critical systemic bottlenecks contributing to prolonged backlogs in forensic mental health observations, while aggressively safeguarding the fundamental human rights of accused individuals referred by the courts. Currently, mentally ill individuals charged with non-violent or petty offenses face inhumane wait times of up to a year in remand prisons before undergoing a mandatory 30-day psychiatric evaluation. This delay significantly disrupts early treatment interventions and complicates clinical recovery.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    Forensic psychiatry in Africa: prospects and challenges
    (2012) Ogunlesi, A O; Ogunwale, A; Roos, Louw; De Wet, P; Kaliski, S
    Forensic Psychiatry has a history that dates back almost two thousand years, and has evolved into a recognised discipline with a robust background of scientific enquiry, mostly because mental health care has always had an important interface with the law. 1 Nevertheless, even in the developed world there are differences between countries with respect to the extent forensic mental health services have developed. This has been exacerbated by the differences in legal systems, resources and priorities in each country. Consequently comparisons and cooperation between forensic psychiatrists internationally has been difficult. 2-4 In Africa, which is the second largest and most populous continent and containing an immense diversity of languages, religious traditions, ethnic groups and sociopolitical systems forensic psychiatry has largely remained underdeveloped within the context of a pervasive neglect in the provision of mental health services. 5 The situation is compounded by the dearth of information about forensic services on the continent. As described by an eminent African psychiatrist, “the practice of forensic psychiatry in Africa is shrouded in both mystery and confusion”. 6 In addition to the lack of appropriate facilities, most countries in Africa have, on average, one psychiatrist per one million inhabitants. Moreover many psychiatrists have migrated to developed countries, leaving a small number of mental health professionals burdened with large numbers of patients. 6 In most countries there are few coordinated initiatives to involve all stakeholders, such as the police, departments of justice, prisons and hospitals, in the development of forensic mental health services.