Certification and Medico-Legal Aspects of Neurodevelopmental Disorders in India

Abstract

With the emerging fields of medical jurisprudence and forensic medicine, cases of neurodevelopmental disorders in engagement or conflict with law are on the rise. Affected persons as alibi, victims, or perpetrators of crime are dotting as civil or criminal proceedings in contemporary courts. Rehabilitation specialists must be conversant with the medico-legal process, their duties, and responsibilities as subject experts to witness given their role in the certification of these cases. They must be aware of the problems and issues in certification during clinical practice. This chapter outlines the concerns related to estimation, measurement, and disability certification. Case vignettes are used to illustrate sample court proceedings during deposition before the attorney and at the time of cross-examination. Empirical research is reviewed before concluding this narrative with an agenda for future action to move away from traditional medical models toward understanding these disorders from human rights and person-in-environment perspectives.