Forensic Sleep Symposium: Neurological and Legal Challenges

8:30am

Registration, tea and coffee

9:00am

Welcome and introduction

• Dr Neil Munro, Consultant Neurologist and Sleep Physician, Guy’s Hospital Sleep Disorders Centre

Session 1: The science

• Chair: Professor Adrian Williams, Professor of Sleep Medicine, Kings College London

9:10am

Of mice and men: The neuroscience of normal sleep and the phenomenon of local sleep

• Professor Vladyslav Vyazovskiy, Professor of Sleep Physiology, University of Oxford, and Vice-President, European Sleep Research Society

9:20am

The neurological basis of sin: The implications of local sleep and wake on sleep behaviours

• Professor Guy Leschziner, Consultant Neurologist, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and Author, “Seven Deadly Sins” and others

9:40am

Consciousness in sleep: Perceptions, intentions and recall in non-REM parasomnias

• Professor Francesca Siclari, Professor of Sleep Medicine University of Lausanne and Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam

10:00am

Panel discussion

Session 2: Forensic sleep

• Chair: Dr Neil Munro

10:15am

Sleep-related sexual behaviours

• Professor Matthew Walker, Professor of Neurology, University College London

10:35am

Sleep related violence

• Dr Christopher Idzikowski, Visiting Fellow, Open University Law School and Director, Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service

10:55am

Panel discussion

11:10am

Tea and coffee break

Session 3: The evidence

• Chair: Professor Guy Leschziner

11:30am

Forensic guidelines on evaluative reporting: Heuristic and analytic approaches

• Dr Neil Munro

11:50am

Do Sleep Studies have a role?

• Dr Zenobia Zaiwalla, Consultant in Clinical Neurophysiology, Epilepsy and Sleep Disorders, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford

12:10am

Panel discussion

12:30pm

Lunch

Session 4: The law

• Chair: The Honourable Mr Justice Peter Charleton, Director of Judicial Studies, The Supreme Court

1:20pm

Practical challenges defending sleep-related automatisms

• Ms Allison Summers KC, Head, Drystone Chambers

1:40pm

Where are we going with parasomnias: Policy and the law – a defence, mitigation or just an excuse?

• Mr Andrew Campbell-Tiech KC, Barrister, Drystone Chambers 

2:00pm

Discussion

2:20pm

Tea and coffee break

Session 5: Dissociative amnesia and dissociative automatism

2:40pm

Hypnosis and dissociative disorder

• Dr Quinton Deeley, Consultant Psychiatrist, Maudsley Hospital, and Senior Lecturer in Developmental Neuropsychiatry, Kings College London

3:00pm

Sleep-related dissociative disorder

• Dr David O’Regan, Consultant in Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine, Guys’ and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and Honorary Senior Lecturer, King’s College London

3:20pm

UK vs Canada: Contrasting legal approaches to dissociation and other psychological blows

• Ms Ramya Nagesh, Barrister, 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square and Author, “A Practical Guide to Insane and Non-Insane Automatism in the Criminal Law”

3:40pm

Panel discussion

4:00pm

Closing remarks

4:05pm

Close of meeting