W V. Edgell (1990)
Definition
England and Wales Court of Appeal decision permitting a psychiatrist to disclose a confined patient's dangerous propensities to the Home Secretary where there was a serious risk to public safety, overriding confidentiality in the public interest.
- Jurisdiction
- England and Wales Court of Appeal
- Year
- 1990
- Parties
- W v Edgell
- Holding
- Disclosure to Home Secretary justified by public safety risk
Common questions
What professional duty does W v Edgell establish for forensic clinicians?+
It confirms that patient confidentiality is not absolute: a treating or assessing clinician may breach it and warn a relevant authority when they judge there is a serious and real risk to the safety of others, and doing so will not automatically expose them to liability.
How is this case used in modern licensing and ethics frameworks?+
It is cited as the leading UK public interest exception to confidentiality, and is typically taught alongside professional body guidance such as the BPS and the Mental Health Act framework to show clinicians when disclosure without consent is defensible rather than mandatory.
Related terms
- APA Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology (2013)
- The eleven-section APA document setting professional and ethical standards for forensic psychological practice in the US, covering responsibilities, competence, diligence, relationships, fees,...
- BPS Division of Forensic Psychology Practice Guidelines 2017
- The UK professional standards document for Chartered Forensic Psychologists, structured around six competency domains: knowledge/skills/values, assessment, formulation, intervention, evaluation, and communication.
- Contingency Fee Prohibition
- The APA Specialty Guidelines Section 5 prohibition on forensic psychologists accepting fees contingent on the outcome of proceedings, because such arrangements create...
- Cross-Cultural Competence
- The requirement under APA and BPS DFP guidelines that forensic psychologists be aware of cultural and linguistic factors affecting assessment validity, and...
- HCPC
- Health and Care Professions Council; the UK statutory regulator that holds the protected title 'Forensic Psychologist' under the Health Professions Order 2001...
- Mental Healthcare Act 2017
- Indian legislation governing mental health services and the rights of persons with mental illness; Section 23 protects confidentiality of mental health information...
- Pre-Assessment Notification
- The APA Specialty Guidelines Section 6 requirement to inform the person being assessed, before evaluation begins, of the purpose, the requesting party,...
- Rehabilitation Council of India
- Indian statutory body regulating clinical psychology (and related professions); requires M.Phil. (Clinical Psychology) as the minimum registration qualification; no distinct forensic psychology...
- Smith V. Jones (1999)
- Canadian Supreme Court decision establishing that solicitor-client privilege and professional confidentiality can be overridden where there is a serious, clear, and imminent...
- Tarasoff V. Regents of the University of California (1976)
- California Supreme Court decision establishing a psychotherapist's duty to protect identifiable third parties from a patient's communicated serious threats of violence; adopted...