November 7, 2005 Source: University of Regina:
http://www.uregina.ca/news/releases/2005/november/7(d).html Psychological disorders and the death penalty Release: November 7, 2005
Contact: Jim Duggleby, External Relations
E-mail: James.Duggleby@uregina.ca
Phone: (306) 585.5439
Mobile: (306) 536.4312
Fax: (306) 585.4997 Psychological disorders and the death penalty
Did Canadian courts fully assess people with psychological disorders before executing them? Before the death penalty was abolished in 1976, more than 700 people were executed in Canada. How many of those individuals had psychological disorders? How did the courts make the decision to impose the death penalty on people with these disorders? In the fifth installment of the Coffee House Controversies Series, Jeffrey Pfeifer, Law Foundation of Saskatchewan Chair in Police Studies at the University of Regina, reviews a number of historical cases in which people were executed for murder in Canada. Pfeifer emphasizes evidence that suggests various levels of psychological disorders in these individuals and examines how the courts evaluated this evidence before imposing a sentence of death. The informal talk will take place beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Thurs., Nov. 10 at Chapters Bookstore behind the Southland Mall (2625 Gordon Road). Coffee House Controversies is a series of informal lectures on controversial topics, presented by the University of Regina’s Faculty of Arts. Admission to the talks is free and participants are encouraged to ask questions or raise issues with the speaker or other audience members. For more information, contact Milagros Charriez at 585-4226. -30-
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