Forensic psychiatric examinations
Forensic psychiatric examinations are coordinated by the Northern Estonian Forensic Medical Department of the Estonian Forensic Science Institute (EFSI).
A person is referred to a forensic psychiatric examination by an employee of a law enforcement authority (police, court). Forensic psychiatric examinations are not conducted without an examination ruling.
According to the Ministerial Regulation No. 14 of 25 June 2021 “Amendment of Regulation No. 51 of the Minister of Justice of 14 December 2007 “Statutes of the Estonian Forensic Science Institute””, EFSI coordinates forensic psychiatric examinations only in offence proceedings.
In offence proceedings, the rulings must always be forwarded to the EFSI. That includes rulings where the examination is commissioned directly from a registered private expert or other person with the knowledge and experience required to give an opinion (psychiatrists, clinical psychologists).
If the EFSI is deemed the executor of the ruling, the EFSI delegates the execution of the ruling to cooperation partners (the EFSI does not have the right to delegate the execution of the rulings to registered private experts). In this regard, the body conducting proceedings receives feedback from the EFSI on which cooperation partner / expert the execution of the ruling was delegated to and to whom the procedural materials must be forwarded.
The body conducting proceedings may, according to a prior agreement, independently appoint a registered privat expert or a cooperation partner by name as the executor of the ruling, in which case the body conducting proceedings shall forward the ruling to the expert / institution for execution and to the EFSI for information.
The registered private expert’s or partner institution’s fee is paid in the Fitek invoice centre upon approval of the invoice of the body conducting proceedings.
In civil proceedings, forensic psychiatric examinations can be ordered directly from a registered private expert or other person with the knowledge and experience required to give an opinion (psychiatrists, clinical psychologists).
Outpatient forensic psychiatric examination is usually conducted within 1–2 months of the forwarding of all procedural documents to the cooperation partner, whereas in the case of inpatient forensic psychiatric examination, the examination period is longer (2–3 months).
Outpatient forensic psychiatric examination is usually conducted within 1–2 months of the forwarding of all procedural documents to the cooperation partner, whereas in the case of inpatient forensic psychiatric examination, the examination period is longer (2–3 months).
The fees of forensic psychiatric examinations
The fee established for the performance of a forensic psychiatric examination and a forensic psychiatric and forensic psychological complex examination includes all the costs related to conducting the examination in accordance with Regulation no. 322 of the Government of the Republic ‘Procedure for the payment of fees and the reimbursement of expenses to participants of criminal proceedings, misdemeanour proceedings, and civil and administrative proceeding
For more information:
Phone: (+372) 663 6745 or (+372) 663 6746
E-mail: [email protected]