Dr Stephen Attard

Dr Stephen Attard has considerable experience of providing expert psychiatric opinion to the courts in a range of civil and criminal cases, both nationally and internationally, as well as in prison law. He typically produces 50-80 reports annually.

Dr Attard is a senior consultant forensic psychiatrist who has experience of leading clinical services and multi-disciplinary teams across both secure and non-secure services. He is employed by Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, where he works within two of the six national Close Supervision Centres (CSCs) located in high-security prisons. These CSCs represent the deepest form of custody in the country, holding some of the most complex and dangerous men in the prison system.

In addition, Dr Attard holds the position of lead psychiatrist for the HMPPS Directorate of Security (DoS). He works in an advisory capacity across the Long-Term High Secure prison estate and acts as a link between the DoS, NHS England Health and Justice, and NHS clinicians.

Dr Attard has special expertise in the assessment and diagnosis of neurodevelopmental conditions and regularly carries out assessments in both ADHD and autism clinics. Within his broader clinical practice, he regularly assesses and treats individuals with common mental disorders including depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, personality disorder, psychosis, and adjustment disorder.

He is a trustee of the charity Prisoners Abroad, providing governance and oversight to the organisation. In addition, Dr Attard has a lead role in a Royal College of Psychiatrists / Ghana College of Physicians & Surgeons Global Workforce Project.

Expert Witness and Courtroom Experience

Dr Attard has extensive experience of providing expert psychiatric opinion in a range of often high-profile criminal cases, including those involving the death penalty, sexual offences, child sexual exploitation, murder, wounding, acquisitive offences, fraud, and arson. He also has experience of providing psychiatric opinion in a wide range of civil cases including personal injury, immigration, employment, housing, extradition, capacity, and negligence cases.

He is well-practised in giving oral evidence both in his expert witness work and in other contexts such as parole hearings, the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal for mental health, and magistrates’ court work within court liaison and diversion services.

Dr Attard is skilled at delivering clear, impartial, and evidence-based opinions, ensuring complex psychiatric issues are made accessible to legal professionals and the judiciary. In civil cases, he has been instructed by both claimants and defendants, and in criminal cases is routinely instructed by both defence and prosecution. He is familiar with the demands of high-pressure court environments, including cross-examination.

Case Types Undertaken

Civil Proceedings:

• Personal injury
• Employment
• Fitness to Practice
• Negligence
• Housing
• Immigration
• Extradition
• Citizenship
• Capacity (including Court of Protection)
• Testamentary capacity
• Litigation capacity
• Capacity to manage finances

Criminal Proceedings:

• Fitness to plead and stand trial
• Issues at criminal trial (e.g. intent, insanity, automatism, diminished responsibility)
• Risk assessments and dangerousness
• Sentencing (including hospital orders)

Parole Board:

• Psychiatric assessments for Parole Board hearings

Specialist Assessments Offered:

• ADOS (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule)
• ADI-R (Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised)
• DIVA (Diagnostic Interview for ADHD in Adults)
• HCR-20 (Risk of violence assessment)
• PCL-R (Psychopathy assessment)
• SCID-II (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorders)
• M-TTAF (Fire-setting risk assessment)
• ACE-R & MOCA (Cognitive assessments)
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