This case is important for two reasons. It illustrates that having “no control over actions” and “not making a rational decision" to end his life can be construed as satisfying Turner proposition 4. It makes clear that Turner proposition (4) is not directed at the general background or lead-up to a suicide attempt but is focused on the moment in time when suicide is attempted.

Hebda v District Court in Krakow, Poland [2025] EWHC 860 (Admin)

This case has a number of important features of general interest. It illustrates the importance of assessing the reliability of a subject’s account. This is not the same as advising the court as to the reliability of the subject. It is the reliability of the account that is being assessed, not the reliability of the person giving the account. This is why it is good practice to open the Opinion section of an expert report with an introductory section sometimes headed ‘Evaluation of evidence’ or sometimes ‘Clinical plausibility’. That there was no challenge to the reliability of the experts’ evidence is not surprising. They explained how they assessed the appellant and the duration of the assessments.

ZA v Cornetu District Court, Romania [2025] EWHC 595 (Admin)

While the Judge in this extradition appeal ultimately reached the same conclusion as the District Court Judge, and dismissed the appeal, he pointed out significant deficiencies in how the District Court Judge had treated the expert psychological evidence.

The qualifications and experience of an expert in an extradition appeal did not demonstrate that he was an expert on the issues before the court. 

“The value of psychometric testing”

“Anything new on the capacity to resist the impulse to commit suicide?”

Relevance:      Psychiatry

Topics:            Extradition

                        Suicide risk

‘Those bloody books’

Relevance:            General

                              Psychiatry

Topics:                   Extradition

                              Impartiality

                              Duty to court

                              Suicide risk

                              Autistic spectrum disorder

Topics:            Uncorroborated history          

                        Assumed facts

Topic:             Suicide risk

The case: The Appellant was aged 21 and wanted for extradition to Germany. He was assessed by Dr Arthur Anderson, a Consultant Clinical Psychologist.