Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Criminal Justice System

Rezensionen / Stimmen

"Dr Clare Allely is a world-leading expert in the field of violent crime and its relationship to ASD. Here, she takes on the difficult and complex task of explicating how ASD and the criminal justice system(s) interact. She provides a convincing body of evidence to support the notion that, in the future, a better understanding of ASD on the part of psychiatrists, psychologists, and, not least, legal practitioners, will lead to much better-informed decisions, particularly as regards criminal responsibility in ASD, within the justice system(s)." -

Christopher Gillberg, MD, PhD

Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, senior consultant

Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Sweden

Universities of Gothenburg, Sweden, and Glasgow, Scotland

Kochi Gillberg Centre, Japan

"Allely's work is cross-disciplinary, practical and based in contemporary international research experience. It provides a ground-breaking insight into the relationship between ASD and the criminal law. It has the potential to remove stigmatising misperceptions and provide a sound expert basis for better informed decision-making." - Professor Ian Freckelton AO QC

"Allely expertly crafts an understanding of the persistent deficits that occur in ASD and the impact on those, often undiagnosed, caught up in criminal justice systems. She provides comprehensive understanding of how impairments may be exhibited or conversely masked by superficial social skills. She demolishes the suggestion that individuals with ASD lack empathy, nor are they any more likely to engage in offending behaviour compared to individuals without a diagnosis of ASD. In fact, they are more likely to be victims. Her stark warning is that the criminal justice system is frequently failing those with ASD and it is imperative that the judiciary and legal practitioners understand the existing research and use the available toolkits to reduce what is commonly a challenging and negative experience. Her call for further research to progress systemic changes to criminal responsibility ought to be heard by those at the highest level of law and policy reform." - Professor Felicity Gerry QC, international QC at Libertas Chambers, London and Crockett Chambers, Melbourne.