[The practice of forensic psychiatry in England and Brazil: a brief comparison]

The authors make a comparative analysis between the practice of forensic psychiatry in England and in Brazil. The purpose is to stimulate the debate about the conduction of this psychiatric specialization in both countries. It is a study specifically addressed to the criminal area and its approach is carried out based on the legal, clinical, and ethical points of view. The observations made in England may be also applied to Wales, but not to the United Kingdom as a whole, since different legislation is adopted in Scotland and Northern Ireland. It concludes that while in Brazil there is a need for a closer and more integrated relationship between Psychiatry and Law, it is equally significant to clearly define the scope and the boundaries of each of these areas, as ignoring the boundaries between the two specialties could result in the risk of their relationship becoming confused, as appears to be the case in the English context.