quiz master

Are you smart enough to be a Queen's Counsel, a High Court Judge or even
a Forensic Psychiatrist?

Find out by answering the four questions below:

The Setting
A long and complicated trial is about to take place in Court 1 of the
Old Bailey in London. Several forensic psychiatrist and medical experts
will be called to testify. (Remember, Court 1 is probably the only
courtroom in the world where neither the jury nor the shorthand writer
can see the face of a witness in the stand. The jurors sit behind and to
the right while the shorthand writer sits in front of and facing away
from the witness stand. Also, the courtroom is not wired for sound and
the shorthand writer cannot use a tape recorder.)

The Facts
Counsel for both sides reviewed their expert witness reports and noticed
they all used a common medical terminology:

The Prosecution experts supported HYPOMANIA
The Defence experts supported PSYCHOSIS

The Problem
Counsel must choose two common language words to use when discussing the
medical terms that jurors of average intelligence and education are
likely to understand and which are unlikely to cause any confusion. The
barristers compiled two lists (in alphabetical order) thus:

HYPOMANIA PSYCHOSIS
========= ==========
abnormal crazy
agitated delusional
elated hypermanic
excited insane
hyper mad
hypomanic nuts
sane psychotic

After perusing the lists, Counsel decided to simplify the proceedings by
asking their experts and the judge to use the same two common language
words they have chosen.

So, at the trial, both barristers, the judge and all the experts used
the same two words when referring to the medical terms HYPOMANIA and
PSYCHOSIS.

For example:
Medical term = indigestion
Common word = heartburn

The Questions
Question 1
Which two common words did the barristers persuade all the experts and
the judge to use during the trial?

Question 2
Which two common words would YOU chose?

Question 3
Which two common words should be especially avoided in the interests of
justice and common sense?

Question 4
Identify the one made-up word and the one proper medical diagnosis in
the list of common words above?

The Prize
One year's free psychiatric counselling for the winners, their immediate
families and up to three pets (excludes laboratory mice and dolphins).

Note: this question is based on a real trial and was solved by two
Queen's Counsel and a High Court Judge working in consultation with
several forensic scientists and medical experts.

The correct answers and a web link to the actual trial transcript will
be posted on Monday. Good luck.

half_pint

Two common words:- **** OFF ASSHOLE

petem

Quiz Master <q@the--continuum.qiz> averred


I can't work out what you mean. What is the status and meaning of these
lists? Are they meant to be in two tabulated columns?What relationship
do the upper case words bear to the lower-case terms below them?


What proceedings?

Chosen for what?

To use for what?


--
PeteM

steve harris

The difference between mania and hypomania is basically
whether or not the hypomania becomes so server as to cause
frank psychosis. Psychosis means being badly out of contact
with reality. Manic psychosis (the hyperactive kind)
generally presents with delusions of grandeur, inability to
sleep, actions showing complete lack of judgment and
ridiculous overoptimism ("look ma, I can fly!"), and many
other beliefs which are completely out of contact with all
conclusions that a reasonable person would come to under the
cir***stances. In such cases, psychosis can be a very
temporary state, and disappears immediately with drug
treatment. The same is true of similar psychotic states
induced by overdoses of amphetamines, cocaine, or even by
lack of sleep.

So the defense and the prosecution can argue all they like,
but case turns on the facts. Did defendant DO and SAY
psychotic things? Then defendant was psychotic. End of
tale. Defendant may also have been manic at the same time,
or hypomanic at other times. Or been an uncontrolled
schizophrenic off his neuroleptics. Or been drugged with
uppers or sleep-deprived as well. Or he might have been a
manic depressive off his lithium and antiseizure drugs.
There are many routes to manic psychosis.

SBH

quiz master

Yes, yes, very good. But you can't win just by being a smart-arse. What
are your answers to the questions?

steve harris

I have no idea.

Probably the closest to hypomanic would be the common term
"hyper". For psychotic, "delusional" is probably most fair.

Well, "nuts", "crazy" and "mad" are all obviously somewhat
inflammatory. "Sane" and "insane" are legal not psychiatric
terms, and so also should be avoided as prejudicial and
certainly presuppositional of what which has yet to be shown
or decided.

"Hyper" might not be in come older dictionaries, but will be
in the newer ones. It will certainly be understood by the
common person. As for words being "made up," that's a silly
argument. All words are made up by somebody sometime-- the
point is whether or not they've been around long enough to
have agreed meanings, or are made up on the spot.
"Hypomania" and "psychotic" are both common and proper
medical terms. Hypermanic isn't, and won't have a good
definition agreed on by either doctors or the public, and
therefore would be an improper "on the spot" word.


solved by two

consultation with

transcript will

Sounds like a circus.

SBH

petem

Quiz Master <q@the--continuum.qiz> averred

Another time, perhaps. (yawn)

--
PeteM

amy

It's Monday and time to reveal the ANSWERS to this Quiz. Please scroll down:


The correct answer is HYPOMANIA and HYPOMANIA.

The smart answer is to stick with the proper medical terms HYPOMANIA and
PSYCHOSIS. Why change them? Expert witnesses are called to assist the
jury to understand what technical, legal and medical terms mean. The
resulting trial transcript would then represent an accurate record of
what was said and be understood by lawyers and doctors reviewing the
case in the future. It's just common sense, isn't it?


Those who thought the barristers may have chosen HYPOMANIA and
HYPERMANIA were close, but not close enough. It is still just possible
to make out the difference when those two words are spoken. It seems
they just couldn't take that risk.


PSYCHOSIS is the only formal medical diagnosis in the above list.

HYPERMANIA is not a recognised medical term. It is not the medical
opposite of HYPOMANIA. (Even HYPOMANIA is not a formal medical
diagnosis.) The correct opposite is mania. But mania is not equivalent
to PSYCHOSIS. A PSYCHOSIS is defined as mania with delusions.

Confused? Imagine what the jury made of the evidence when only one word
was being used to describe two completely different conditions!


The architects of this Judicial CLUSTER**** were Mr Michael Beckman QC
and Mr Victor (VBA) Temple (now QC). The trial Judge was Justice Sir
William Macpherson of Cluny.

In case anyone doesn't believe that the English legal system could spawn
such a fiasco never mind fight tooth and nail to defend it, the trial
transcript is at URL:
http://www.injustice.org/nemo/trials/t40000.html

The Criminal Cases Review Commission's defence of it is at URL:
http://www,injustice.org/ccrc/

And this is just for a laugh:
http://www.injustice.org/ccrc/whatisthis.html

No winners this time, but thanks to all who gave it a try.

cbi

Are you still whining about this? Please. - Nobody here cares.

You got your verdict now live with it.

--
CBI, MD

dave proctor

Whilst undoubtedly under the effects of alcohol, "half_pint"


Point of order - that is three words!

=========

Dave

Don't Drink Drive....
It's A Laundry Detergent