Thank you, and thank you for inviting me here today.
For my master's degree, I was involved in designing a study that aimed to evaluate PTSD among jury members who were seated on a very specific criminal trial. Unfortunately, due to several obstacles, I was unable to complete this research.
To maintain the focus on trauma symptoms in the courtroom, I conducted a study on PTSD among Canadian lawyers instead. I would be happy to answer questions about those results in the question and answer period should there be an interest.
Based on this experience and the work that was presented here by Ms. Lonergan, I would like to discuss the following recommendations.
These recommendations are for planning a research study. In order to engage in active problem-solving regarding this issue, we believe that we must expand beyond the courtroom. For example, we suggest employing a multidisciplinary team of academic experts in the field of psychiatry, psychology, and the law with the goal of building bridges and addressing the limitations of higher research.
Research could be directed at evaluating potential jurors for a psychiatric disorder prior to, after, or several months following the trial. These clinician-led evaluations would help us understand the scope as well as the progression of the problem. This would not only help us build a profile to identify who is more at risk for trauma-related disorders as a result of their service but also shed some light on the direct effect of jury duty on mental health.
The following recommendations are for addressing juror mental health.
Post-trial debriefing is sometimes used by judges to help buffer the detrimental effects of jury service on mental health. Despite the judicial system's commendable efforts to mitigate symptoms of stress in jurors through the use of post-trial debriefing services, evidence revealed that debriefing alone may be insufficient to reduce the levels of pathology among those jurors. As with many treatments, combining several evidence-based practices would likely result in optimal outcomes.
These could include the use of psychoeducation on self-care and adaptive coping mechanisms to prepare the jurors to face the potentially traumatic material. This would also provide an opportunity to elaborate on the psychological services that would be offered to the jury members. It could also include counselling and debriefing led by mental health professionals throughout the trial, as a group or individually.
It is our belief that mental health disorders are best addressed by mental health professionals. Moreover, clinician-led debriefing and post-trial counselling for an extended period of time would be highly beneficial. Post-trial, extended follow-ups could be conducted weeks or months following the end of a trial, in order to reach out to jurors and ensure their proper rehabilitation, as many individuals do not seek help for trauma-related disorders.
Lastly, section 649 of the Canadian Criminal Code prevents former jurors from disclosing information related to the judicial process, which restricts in-depth investigation into the true experience of Canadian jurors for research as well as clinical purposes. It would be highly beneficial to amend this section for licensed mental health professionals, who are mandated by confidentiality policies, or by having psychologists, who are under oath and specifically working for the court. They could assist the jurors throughout this process, as designated service providers, as mentioned earlier by Dr. Baillie.
In conclusion, we are delighted to hear that the House of Commons is initiating research investigating this very important matter and we are honoured to share our findings with you today.
Thank you for your attention.