Leading Ontario forensic psychiatrist too biased to give evidence, ‘cut and pasted’ opinions, judge finds
June 13, 2023
By Betsy Powell
— Excerpt
The professional credibility of one of Ontario’s leading forensic psychiatrists has been called into question by a judge who took the unusual step of refusing to qualify him as an expert, finding him too biased to give evidence.
The recent decision by Superior Court Justice Laura Bird – who concluded Toronto’s Dr. Scott Woodside “cut and pasted” and made numerous errors in reports filed with the court – has sent shock waves through the criminal justice system, with defence lawyers warning of “grave” implications, including the need to review scores of other cases that relied on the doctor’s opinion…
“There is no such designation as ‘expert for life.'”
Woodside, the head of a sexual behaviour clinic at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, has provided more than 160 court-ordered assessments to criminal trials across Canada, including the high-profile case of the man who drove a rented van down Yonge Street, killing 10 people.
Woodside did not respond to requests for comment from the Star…