When a youth is charged with a criminal offence, the Youth Criminal Justice Act permits a Youth Justice Court judge to order a medical, psychiatric or psychological report. As a major component of its services, Youth Forensic Psychiatric Services provides such reports to the Youth Justice Court.

These reports are the result of what may be informally described as a "forensic assessment". A forensic assessment is a process whereby a team of mental health professionals conducts a comprehensive evaluation of the individual youth and his or her family and social background. The results of this assessment are submitted to the Youth Justice Court in the form of a written report. While the actual reasons for the evaluation and the purpose for which it is intended will vary, the overall intent is assist the Youth Justice Court in making a decision about the youth.

Because of the legal framework involved, there are fundamental differences between a forensic assessment and other kinds of psychiatric / psychological assessments that are conducted in other mental health settings such as hospitals or community agencies.

In this section you will find more details on this subject. This information will be of particular interest to members of the judiciary, lawyers, probation officers, social workers, and other mental health professionals.