CURRICULUM VITAE

Dr. Rajeev Dhar 

Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist

MBBS MRCPsych Barrister 

Approved under Section 12(2) MHA2007/83

CONTACT DETAILS (for solicitors only) 

dharrajeev1@yahoo.co.uk (preferred contact method)

 appts 02074678401/   07928613223   /  medicolegal sec:  02088368517

MEDICOLEGAL CONSULTATIONS

10 Harley Street. London
Capio Nightingale Hospital, Lisson grove, London NW1 6SH
Keats House, Medical Consulting Rooms,  London Bridge, London

QUALIFICATIONS

MBBS - University of London, 1994

MRCPsych - London, 1999

CPE in Law - London ,  2005

Bar Vocational Course - BPP Law School, London, 2008

Called to Bar – Lincoln’s Inn,  2008

MEDICOLEGAL EXPERIENCE 

I have provided expert evidence in legal cases for 15years covering a wide range of legal issues. I have acted as a Court appointed expert, for Claimants, Defendants, Public bodies, NHS Trusts, the CPS, Defence Unions, Insurance companies, Inquiries and as expert for the Employment Tribunal.

Preparation of Court Reports and oral evidence

Civil cases :

Medical /clinical negligence in psychiatric practice
Deaths in custody and suicide cases
Psychiatric malpractice
Clinical Negligence
Psychiatric Injury in personal injury cases – causation and quantum
Nervous shock cases

Employment  cases

Fitness for work assessments
Assessment of capability and unfair dismissal
Discrimination and Disability assessments
Work related stress and trauma in the workplace
Psychological Injury in employment matters 

Mental capacity

Assessment of capacity to make treatment decisions 
Assessment of mental capacity to make a contract and other decisions
Deprivation of liberty cases

Criminal cases: 

Independent fitness to plead assessments 
Prison Transfer assessments
Insanity as a defence in non homicide cases 
Defence of Duress 
Defences to Murder 
Intoxication (including the Tandy defence)
Non insane automatism
Pre-Sentence reports for Probation

I have given oral evidence at all levels of Hearing including at the Central Criminal Court and High Court including cases in the Channels Islands for the Defence and Prosection Officers, Guernsey.

Court Diversion Scheme    

Medical member of team based at South Western Magistrates Court from 11/11/00 – 1/5/02 

Other Medico-legal reports: 

Independent reports for Parole board hearings
Independent reports for MHRTs
Family Law cases 

Further specialist clinico-legal expertise : 

Criminal process and defences
Clinical negligence and personal injury 
Dismissal from employment
The assessment of mental capacity
The MHA 1983 and 2007

Inquiry experience

Consultant expert Panel Inquiring into deaths into custody HMP Belmarsh
Consultant expert Panel Inquiring into deaths at South West London and St George’s Mental Health Trust

Geographical location of medico legal work : experience in providing expert evidence in the UK, Channel Islands (Guernsey and Jersey) and Ireland. Available for expert work globally.

CONSULTANT EMPLOYMENT

Substantive positions :

•	Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, Consultant Psychiatrist

-	Psychiatric Rehabilitation 

-	Psychiatric  Intensive Care Unit, Oxleas House, Greenwich

-	Challenging Behaviour service

-	Acute medium Secure service

LEADERSHIP ROLES

•	Clinical Director, Greenwich Directorate, Oxleas Foundation Trust.

The Trust at that time comprised of 3 Adult Directorates covering Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich. Whilst I was one of four medical clinical directors the the Trust was awarded psychiatric service provider of the year by the Royal College of Psychiatrists and is rated amongst the highest achievers in user and staff surveys. The service I ran also received AIMS accreditation and in the past had been ‘National psychiatric intensive care unit of the year’

The Directorate I led as clinical director was in a large morbid area with a complex managerial structure. My roles were:

Clinical lead for :

-	community services
-	acute inpatient services
-	early intervention 
-	liaison psychiatry
-	substance misuse

  Management lead for ;

-	Clinical Governance 
-	Clinical effectiveness
-	Inquiries
-	Patient safety

ACADEMIC

•	Honorary Director of Clinico-legal studies within Dept Forensic Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, London  

•	Lecturing

Lecturer on MSc in Mental Health Law – Criminal Law Concepts and Defences; Consent law at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College
Lecturer on the MRCPsych Course Maudsley Hospital 
Lecture and teach on expert witness course which has been developed 
Invited speaker at a range of academic meeting and conferences

•	Training events 

Lead trainer for Consultants, S12 doctors, Oxleas NHS Trust – Mental Health Act 2007 course
Trainer for Consultants Surrey and Borders NHS Trust – The Mental Health Act 2007
Co-organiser Oxleas NHS S12 approval Course
Expert witness course/training Director, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London

•	Trainer Roles

Educational Supervisor Psychiatric Trainees
MTAS Interviewer : national medical training selection process (London Deanery)
CSIP Mental Health Act Trainer

SPECIALTY TRAINING

Senior House Officer in Psychiatry
St George’s Training Scheme, London 1996-1999

Clinical Research Fellow in Forensic Psychiatry  (Dec 1999- Nov 2000)
St George’s Hospital Medical School

Specialist Registrar in Forensic Psychiatry 
Broadmoor Hospital, Berkshire
Shaftesbury Clinic, London

OTHER CLINICAL EXPERIENCE 

Prison Sessions, HMP Highdown (Cat A), HMP Wandsworth
Forensic Psychotherapy, Broadmoor Hospital
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Clinic, St George’s Hospital, London 

COMMITTEE EXPERIENCE

Chair, academic programme Bracton Centre
Royal College of Psychiatrists, Consultant member accreditation panel
Member Mental Health Legislation Scrutinee Committee – Oxleas NHS Trust
Directorate Board, Forensic and Prison Directorate Oxleas NHS Trust
Consultant Representative Marketing Group, Lean Thinking Group, Bracton Centre
Medical Advisory Committee, Oxleas NHS Trust
Chair Greenwich Quality Board
Chair Consultants Meeting
Trust Committees :  CEG,  Quality Board, MMG

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES / ORGANISATIONS

Royal College of Psychiatrists
General Medical Council 
Medical Defence Union
BMA
Lincoln’s Inn (Bar)
Bar Council
UK Register expert witnesses
Sweet and Maxwell Expert Witness Directory
Expert Witness

ACADEMIC INTERESTS

All aspects of the interface between law and psychiatry.  I have an interest also in fitness to plead, psychiatric defences in homicide cases and disposal/sentencing options, the MHA and MCA. I am currently developing a thesis on the issue liability and negligence in psychiatric practice for a LLM.  An area of work I am also currently involved in concerns the relationship between the legal and clinical processes in terms of evidence and expert opinion. I have written and lectured extensively on these areas. 

Papers 
	
Published Papers

Eastman N.L.G., Dhar R. (2000) The role and assessment of mental capacity : A review, Current Opinion in Psychiatry.

Dhar R., O’Brien A. (2000) The Critical Review Paper and evidence based journal clubs : A candidate’s perspective. Psychiatric Bulletin 

Hale R, Dhar R (2008) Flying a Kite ; Observations on Dual (and Triple) Diagnosis (Editorial) Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health.

Book Chapters

‘The MHA, Common Law, Capacity in a prison setting’  Dhar and Wilson  in ‘Prison Psychiatry’ 

Commissioned to write a chapter on 'legislation and  psychiatry' in 'Seminars in Forensic Psychiatry', Royal College of Psychiatrists Textbook.

Papers currently submitted

Dhar R, Malhotra M  Immigration and the mental health patient – reaching a l compromise?
	
Dhar R Fitness to plead – A meeting of psychiatry and law