Background


Recent institutional events have taught that, in addtion to ethical issues, there are important legal quesitons that arise for psychoanalysts in many situations (both professionally and within Societies). These issues arise not only in relationships with patients, but also in organizational activities and in consultations provided outside the usual frame of psychoanalytic treatment. These legal issues present both opportunities and risks in relation to the work of psychoanalysts.


Mandate


In its first year of operation, the Psychoanalysis & Law Committee will:

  1. consult with the Administration and with the chairs of relevant committees about the field of psychoanalysis and the law, and engage IPA colleagues who are interested in, or working with, themes in the area. This might open a communication channel destined to enlarge information for our institution;
  2. develop by September 2014 a work programme listing the areas of work which it intends to prioritise and the specific activities it wishes to undertake, to feed into the IPA's overall work programme from 1 January 2015 onwards;
  3. with the consent of ExCom, carry out such other activities for the remainder of 2014 as it wishes to do, consistent with its aims.

This Committee has been formed by the IPA Board of Representatives on the understanding that the members of the Committee will carry out their work at no cost to the IPA, and that no budget is available to them and no expenses will be reimbursed. They will have access to the web and email support services offered by IPA Staff.


The members of the Committee will be appointed in the usual way, by the President of the IPA and with the consent of the Board of Representatives.


By mid-December each year, the Committee will send to the Board of Representatives, for their approval, an annual report on the Committee's achievements in that year and their plans for the following year. Approval of the Board of Representatives must be given before work can commence.


Given its intention to work at Congresses, the attention of the Committee is specifically drawn to the IPA's Policy on Conferences.


Aims


The overall aims of the Committee are:

  1. to explore the main points of convergence in the interface between Psychoanalysis and Law (Psychanalyse et Droit), both in its theoretical and practical aspects;
  2. to stimulate dialogue and research between the two fields, including epistemological investigation, including similarities and differences about truth, nature, the value of knowledge, difficulties to get to it, and considering the different methodologies and strategies;
  3. to enhance conversations dealing with the hermetism of the language of both disciplines, trying to make them more accessible to all;
  4. to discuss the question of subjectivity within the objectivity of the Law, and to help judges understand the importance of a subjective perspective;
  5. to promote psychoanalytic knowledge in law schools, legal institutions and courts;
  6. to facilitate the understanding of the law not as closed and normatized hierarchies, complete and immutable, but getting to Reflexive Law studies, which include the subject as the actor of his life and subjectivity;
  7. to discuss the relationship between legal matters and some psychoanalytical processes;
  8. to connect IPA psychoanalysts working in the field;
  9. to promote panels and workshops at IPA and regional congresses;
  10. to publish papers;
  11. to promote interdisciplinary studies on matters related to both fields, building bridges between them.

Possible Focus

  1. Family Law. Divorce and child custody
  2. Civil Law. Civil competence
  3. Criminal Law
  4. Ethics and its relations with Psychoanalysis and Law
  5. The place oegalsubjectivity in Legal matters
  6. Philosolophy of Law and and Psychoanalysis
  7. New Technologies, Law and Psychoanalysis.

Stategies and Methodology

  1. Tracking colleagues interested in the field (help of IPA instruments)
  2. Conversations through Skype - Committee group
  3. Establisment of Committee priorities and concrete projects
  4. Contacting legal institutions
  5. Planning workshops and panels at psychoanalytical congresses and at law congresses
  6. Supporting and participating in the XV World Conference of the International Society of Family Law, to be held in August 2014.

Membership


The Committee will consist of a Chair and two Members from each region (seven people in all), along with as many Consultants as seem desirable (although appropriate attention should be paid to achieving a reasonable balance between the regions).



Approved by the Board January 2014

Removal of the term "Broomhills", March 2017

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