Expert Witness Consultant Psychiatrists

Dr. S M Alikhan  MA (Cantab) MBBS LLM MRCPsych 

Dr. J A Lee  MA (Cantab) MBBChir MRCPsych

Medico-Legal Assessments are based in St. Albans, Hertfordshire but can provide opinions around London, the South East and further nationally (by either in-person, or remote consultation).

We have particular experience in criminal, immigration, housing and complex capacity/Court of Protection work, and assessments of whether stress and trauma may have resulted in psychiatric injury.

We offer a free 15 minute call-back from an expert to discuss your medic0-legal issue, irrespective of any decision to instruct - please see enquiry form for details. We are a pragmatic, direct, and high quality service aiming to bring clarity and understanding to complex medico-legal cases.

  • Consultant Psychiatrist

    GMC Reg. 6159616

    Approved under s12(2) Mental Health Act 1983 (2007)
    Dr Alikhan has over 10 years’ experience of psychiatric expert witness work. He studied medicine at Gonville and Caius College, University of Cambridge and King’s College London Medical School.

    He trained in General Adult and Rehabilitation Psychiatry at the Maudsley Hospital and worked at other hospitals on the South London training scheme including the Bethlem Royal. He has worked subsequently as a consultant since 2016 in various settings caring for people with complex mental health needs. He has specialist experience in forensic psychiatry and neuropsychiatry, having worked as a consultant for several years in a medium secure (forensic) Acquired Brain Injury and Neuropsychiatry service.

    He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Faculty of Rehabilitation and Social Psychiatry at the Royal College of Psychiatrists. He has degrees in Experimental Psychology (MA), Medicine (MBBS) and Law (LLM, Mental Health Law) and is approved under section 12(2) of the Mental Health Act 1983 (2007).

    He has a keen interest in legal and political issues, especially human rights, immigration and criminal law. He has worked with refugees and asylum seekers for several years providing individual therapy and expert medico-legal reports, and regularly provides expert opinion evidence to the Courts in civil and criminal cases. He is indemnified by the Medical Protection Society (MPS).

    Qualifications

    BA, Pre-clinical Medicine/Natural Sciences (Psychology) Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge University (2003)

    MA, Cambridge University (2007)

    MBBS, King's College, University of London (2007)

    MRCPsych (2012)

    CCT General and Rehabilitation Psychiatry (2016)

    LLM (Mental Health Law) (Commendation), Northumbria University (2016)

    Dr Alikhan is available for instruction in matters requiring expertise in the following areas:

    • General mental health conditions (civil and social legal issues including occupational/work related matters)

    • General mental health conditions (forensic and criminal legal issues)

    • Acquired brain injury (civil, immigration and criminal issues) including traumatic brain injury, stroke and other neuropsychiatric disorders (stroke, Huntington's Disease), Epilepsy and mental health

    • Personal Injury, Post-traumatic stress disorder and related legal issues

    • Immigration, detention, deportation, torture and asylum cases

    • Vulnerability and Disability in housing matters

    • Assessment of mental capacity including testamentary capacity

    • Fitness to plead and stand trial

    • Capacity to form intent

    • Insanity defence

    • Competence to give evidence (vulnerable victims of and witnesses to crime)

    • Second opinions including for Mental Health Act matters such as Mental Health Tribunals and the Upper Tribunal

    • Addictions and substance misuse in relation to mental health

  • Consultant Psychiatrist (General Adult, Older Adults)

    GMC Reg. 6128663

    Approved under s12(2) Mental Health Act 1983 (2007)

    Dr Lee is an experienced psychiatrist with expertise in a number of clinical and medico-legal areas.

    Dr Lee graduated from Cambridge University with degrees in Natural Sciences (Pharmacology) and Medicine and Surgery and completed her psychiatric training on the South London and Maudsley and South West London and St George’s Hospital rotations.

    She holds a dual Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) and is on the General Medical Council’s Specialist Register for both General Adult Psychiatry and Old Age Psychiatry. She is a Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and is approved under section 12(2) of the Mental Health Act 1983.

    Dr Lee currently works as a Consultant Psychiatrist with older adults, treating conditions such as dementia and other cognitive and mental health disorders and is Associate Clinical Director for Older Adults' Community Services in her NHS post with East London Foundation Trust. She is indemnified by the Medical Protection Society (MPS).

    Qualifications

    BA, Newnham College, Cambridge University (2002)

    MA, Cambridge University (2006)

    MBBChir, Cambridge University (2006)

    MRCPsych (2012)

    CCT General and Old Age Psychiatry (2017)

    Dr Lee is available for instruction in matters requiring expertise in the following areas:

    • Mental health conditions in older adults (civil and social legal issues including occupational/work related matters), Capacity, Court of Protection work

    • Dementia and mental capacity (forensic and criminal legal issues)

    • Assessment of mental capacity including testamentary capacity

    • Fitness to plead and stand trial in older adults and working age adults

    • Competence to give evidence (vulnerable victims of and witnesses to crime)

    • Second opinions including for Mental Health Act matters such as Mental Health Tribunals and the Upper Tribunal

Professional Expertise

Our Consultant Psychiatrists have studied, trained and practised in leading organisations, and are highly regarded for their clinical skills, clarity of expression, scholarship and leadership.

We enjoy the challenge of robustly addressing medico-legal questions and are proud of the exceptional quality of the reports we produce. We also offer training, supervision and mentoring for professionals looking to undertake medico-legal work - please enquire for details.

Publications

Dr Alikhan was recently interviewed for an article in Neuro Rehab Times , discussing the care of people with acquired brain injury in secure settings

Please also see:

Francis ER, Smith JG, Qayyum M, Lee J, Woodgate P, Lawrence RM. Biographical films as a person-centered approach to reduce neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia in residential care: A feasibility study. J Clin Psychol. 2020 Jan;76(1):137-145.

Alikhan SM, Lee JA, Dratcu L. Mirtazapine treatment of a severe depressive episode and resolution of elevated inflammatory markers. Case Rep Psychiatry. 2013 ;2013:697872


Please consider a referral particularly if expertise with respect to the below conditions is required (in both ‘working age’ and ‘older’ (over 65) adults)

  • Post-traumatic stress disorder

  • Anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders, phobias

  • Psychosis and schizophrenia

  • Traumatic or other acquired brain injury (stroke, encephalitis brain tumours or other brain disease)

  • Huntington’s Disease

  • Dementia

  • Depression

  • Bipolar Affective Disorder

  • Personality Disorders

  • Complex medication regimes and side effects

  • Clinical negligence in hospital settings

  • Forensic risk assessments

  • Work-related stress and anxiety