{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,13]],"date-time":"2026-04-13T04:55:18Z","timestamp":1776056118192,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,18]],"date-time":"2025-11-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1763424000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,18]],"date-time":"2025-11-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1763424000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Journal of Forensic Sciences"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,3]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    At the core of the common law, rooted in fairness, is the principle that an accused must be \u201cfit\u201d or \u201ccompetent\u201d to answer charges pursued by the state. Fitness rules vary considerably across jurisdictions but generally share the requirement that the accused be able to actively participate in the conduct of their defense. In the Canadian tradition, the common law on fitness is codified in Section\u00a02 of the Criminal Code. For over 30\u2009years, statutory interpretation of the law has been limited to provincial courts of appeal in Canada. Now, for the first time, the Supreme Court of Canada has rendered an opinion on the fitness test, thus creating new binding case law across the country on the question. Largely endorsing decisions rendered in the Ontario Court of Appeal in\n                    <jats:italic>Taylor<\/jats:italic>\n                    , and then\n                    <jats:italic>Bharwani<\/jats:italic>\n                    , the Supreme Court has endorsed a broadened test and fuller interpretation of the statute, highlighting that defense decisions must be reality\u2010based and communicated intelligibly. Fluctuations in fitness are acknowledged, and while symptoms may be present, they must not be overwhelming in nature. Here, we review the legislative and judicial history leading to the decision in\n                    <jats:italic>R v. Bharwani<\/jats:italic>\n                    before providing a psycholegal analysis of the decision and a review of its implications for forensic mental health professionals. Beyond utility to those practicing in Canada, this historic and landmark ruling is thought to be instructive to those in America and other Commonwealth nations around the world grappling with the nuances of competency capacity thresholds.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1111\/1556-4029.70228","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,19]],"date-time":"2025-11-19T04:24:03Z","timestamp":1763526243000},"page":"811-820","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The Supreme Court of Canada interprets the fitness to stand trial test in\n                    <i>R v. Bharwani<\/i>"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"71","author":[{"given":"Dennis","family":"Curry","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine &amp; Dentistry Western University  London Ontario Canada"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jason","family":"Quinn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine &amp; Dentistry Western University  London Ontario Canada"},{"name":"Southwest Centre for Forensic Mental Health Care St. Joseph's Health Care London  St. Thomas Ontario Canada"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_13_2_1","volume-title":"Fitness to stand trial: fairness first and foremost","author":"Schneider RD","year":"2018"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_3_1","unstructured":"Dusky v. United States 362 U.S. 402.1960."},{"issue":"1","key":"e_1_2_13_4_1","first-page":"19","article-title":"Competence to stand trial should require rational understanding","volume":"39","author":"Felthous AR","year":"2011","journal-title":"J Am Acad Psychiatry Law"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0025802419856761"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_6_1","unstructured":"Trial of John Frith (t17900417\u20101).Proceedings of the Old Bailey. 1790 Apr 17. Available from:https:\/\/www.oldbaileyonline.org\/record\/t17900417\u20101?text=t17900417\u20101. Accessed 10 Jul 2025."},{"key":"e_1_2_13_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"R v. Taylor.11 O.R. (3d) 323 (Ont CA).1992.","DOI":"10.1016\/0167-6393(92)90037-8"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_8_1","unstructured":"Criminal Code RSC.c C\u201046 s 2 \u201cunfit to stand trial\u201d.1985."},{"key":"e_1_2_13_9_1","unstructured":"R v. Bharwani.2023 ONCA 203 (CanLII).2023. Available from:https:\/\/www.canlii.org\/en\/on\/onca\/doc\/2023\/2023onca203\/2023onca203.html. Accessed 26 July 2025"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.29158\/JAAPL.240081\u201024"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_11_1","unstructured":"Supreme Court of Canada.R v. Bharwani 2025 SCC 26.2025. Available from:https:\/\/decisions.scc\u2010csc.ca\/scc\u2010csc\/scc\u2010csc\/en\/item\/21149\/index.do. Accessed 25 Jul 2025"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_12_1","unstructured":"R v. Pritchard.7 Car & P 303 (Eng KB).1836."},{"key":"e_1_2_13_13_1","unstructured":"R v. M (John).EWCA Crim 3452 (Eng CA).2003."},{"key":"e_1_2_13_14_1","unstructured":"SC v. United Kingdom.40 EHRR 10 (Eur Ct HR).2004."},{"key":"e_1_2_13_15_1","unstructured":"R v. Morrissey.ONCA 770; 87 O.R. (3d) 481 (Ont CA).2007."},{"key":"e_1_2_13_16_1","unstructured":"Supreme Court of Canada.R v. Whittle [1994] 2 SCR 914.1994. 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Cir. 1968)."},{"key":"e_1_2_13_18_1","unstructured":"Jackson v Indiana.406 U.S. 715.1972."},{"key":"e_1_2_13_19_1","unstructured":"Godinez v Moran.509 U.S. 389.1993."},{"key":"e_1_2_13_20_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Cooper v Oklahoma.517 U.S. 348.1996.","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(05)65824-2"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_21_1","unstructured":"Indiana v Edwards.554 U.S. 164.2008."},{"key":"e_1_2_13_22_1","unstructured":"Criminal Lunatics Act.(UK) 39 & 40 Geo 3 c 94.1800."},{"key":"e_1_2_13_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Criminal Code.SC 1892 c 29 ss 659 661(2) 737.1892.","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.2.1655.661"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_24_1","unstructured":"Criminal Code RSC.c C\u201034 s 615 (repealed 1991).1970."},{"key":"e_1_2_13_25_1","volume-title":"The criminal process and mental disorder","author":"Law Reform Commission of Canada","year":"1975"},{"key":"e_1_2_13_26_1","unstructured":"Canadian Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.Fitness to stand trial guidelines. 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