FORENSIC PSY HATRY IN INDIA delinquency, keeping in mind the individual estates was introduced in India through three delinquent and crime prevention. separate acts, The Lunacy (Supreme Court) Act, While European countries had a long 1858, The Lunacy (District courts) Act, 1858 and evolutionary history as far as forensic psychiatry Lunatic Asylum Act, 1858. This act was modified is concerned in USA it emerged as a professional in 1883 and more elaborate instructions and activity during the early part of the 19th century guidelines for admission and treatment of when four major factors were considered : the lunatics were outlined. The next phase of > medicolegal vision of the earlier American development of lunacy act began in the early physician, the introduction of new theories about part of the 20th century. The central supervision insanity, advent of market place professionalism of the mental hospital was established in 1906. and involvement in the adjudication of wills. The This was brought out in the form of Indian Lunacy evidence suggests that postmortem diagnosis Act of 1912. In 1920, the names of all lunatic of insanity were employed through the middle asylums were changed to mental hospitals and decades of the 19th century to maintain stable the control of mental hospitals was shifted from and predictable patterns of property conveyance prison authorities to civil surgeons. in the new republic. The courts and legislature Before the independence of India in reacted against that trend during the last decades 1946, The Health Survey and Development of the 19th century in order to. protect the Committee, popularly known as 'Bhore individual testator and limit the power of forensic Committee' was asked to survey mental psychiatry. By early 20th century patterns hospitals. It was reported that the majority of emerged which have been since then taken as mental hospitals in India were quite outdated and normative. were designed for detention and custody without Now coming over to our country India, regard to curative treatment. It was highlighted mental illnesses and the diagnoses and that Indian Lunacy Act of 1912 had outlived its treatment of the mental illnesses has been well usefulness. A draft of the Mental Health Act was documented in Ayurveda, the Charak and prepared in 1949 by Indian Psychiatric Society. Shushrut Samhitas, Vagbhat and Ashtanga After persistent efforts of Indian Psychiatric Sangraha and Ashtanga Hridaya. Ayurveda is a Society the Ministry of Health introduced the science of life and not just a system of medicine. Indian Mental Health Bill in the Lok Sabha, but There are vivid descriptions about the symptoms, before it could be passed, the bill lapsed when etiology and herbal medication, oil baths, the parliament was dissolved in 1980. The same fumigation, shock treatment, so also kindness bill was introduced afresh in 1981. The Mental and humane attitudes to be shown to the patient. Health Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha on But the legal aspects pertaining to the mental 26th November, 1986 and Lok Sabha on 19th illness have not been mentioned anywhere in March, 1987. After it was assented to on 22nd the ancient Indian literature before the advent May, 1987, it became an Act no. 14 of 1987. The of the British. The Institution of Mental Asylum, Central Government of India passed orders that was a British concept, the first lunatic asylum the Act would come in force with effect from 1st was established at Calcutta in or about 1787. April, 1993 in all the States and Union Territories The purpose of these asylums was not the care of India. and treatment of the mentally ill but to shut him As per the Bhore Committee up in places far away from towns to rid the society recommendations special treatment facilities for of his presence, while at the same time protecting children in the form of Child Guidance Clinics him against himself. Mental health legislation were established. Though the first Child was first enacted in India in 1858 based on the Guidance Clinic was established in 1909 in two English Acts of 1853. Law relating to the Chicago to deal with *.he problems of juvenile custody of lunatics and management of their delinquency and later other childhood 181