The Dinosaur of Judicial Disjuncture with Forensic Psychiatric Rehabilitation Processes in Zimbabwe

The study sought to explore the experiences and involvement of the judicial team in the processes for the rehabilitation of forensic psychiatric patients in Zimbabwe. An exploratory qualitative design was used utilizing the Charmaz grounded theory approach. Findings reflected that the engagement of the judiciary is at variance with what will enable patient recovery; instead, its engagement is prohibitive and discrepant. The disengagement of the judiciary is reflected in processes that are prohibitive to recovery; negative attitudes impacting on the overall rehabilitation processes; judicial linguistic habitus and its selective reinterpretation that digress the discourse of patient rehabilitation, and the role of family in the recovery process. Development of a systematic and jurisprudent framework is projected to realign the judicial system to be in sync with the medical system with regard of forensic psychiatric patients in Zimbabwe.