Prosecutors reject proposal for new psychiatric experts
The public prosecutors in the Anders Behring Breivik case have reject proposals for the appointment of new psychiatric experts. They point out that since the current psychiatric report produced by court-appointed psychiatrists has been unamimously apppproved by the Court Medical Commission, and since a fundamental principle in Norwegian criminal law is that any reasonable doubt shall benefit the accused, a new report could not, in and of itself, form the basis for determining legal responsibility. In other words, the existing report would continue to cast doubt on Breivik’s accountability for his actions.
Google translate:
Prosecutors do not want new Breivik assessment
04.01.2012
But will not oppose the new experts, if the court wishes.
Public prosecutors Svein Holden and Inga Bejer Engh has today submitted its report to the Oslo District Court whether to conduct a new forensic psychiatric evaluation of Anders Behring Breivik or not.
They believe there is no need for the appointment of new experts. Nor Breivik himself or his defenders want new experts, and prosecutors believe the court should emphasize this….
In his letter to the court says prosecutors that there is a fundamental principle of Norwegian criminal law that reasonable doubt should be accused as a whole. This principle also applies when considering whether sane….
“The doubt which has now been established, must then be removed. So time will tell if it can happen. It will have to be fairly convincing about why both Huseby, Sørheim and the Commission has made a mistake,” says Holden….
Original article: Statsadvokatene ønsker ikke ny Breivik-vurdering
Prosecutors’ (State Attorneys’) letter (in Norwegian): Statement from Oslo statsadvokatembeter to Oslo Tingrett
Related post: Breivik formally rejects proposal for new psychiatric experts
