Forensic psychiatry in Canada: a journey on the road to specialty.

This has been a pivotal year in Canadian psychiatry. On September 29, 2009, after many years of relentless efforts and lobbying by the Canadian Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (CAPL), the Council of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada finally recognized forensic psychiatry as a subspecialty in psychiatry. Together with the academies of child psychiatry and geriatric psychiatry, forensic psychiatry will now be one of approximately 60 specialties within Canadian medicine, and one of 3 within psychiatry. This decision is exciting news on the Canadian forensic psychiatry scene because it affords longdeserved recognition to the specialty. In addition, it provides unique opportunities to put into place mechanisms to ensure that standards of competence are met and maintained by those who are called on to deliver services in forensic psychiatry, thus promoting standards of excellence.