A hypothetical clinical vignette of delusional disorder: how potential legal issues could be addressed in the United Kingdom and the United States

One of the major difficulties in presenting an international perspective on delusional disorders and their impact on offending or violent behaviour is that no two legal systems are quite the same, and there are substantial differences between some of them; in addition, there is international variation in relevant service provision or use. We therefore invited several experts practising in forensic mental health services or the law to consider the following case and to use relevant literature, statute and case law to draw out similarities and differences in process and management of the following case. Annie Smith is not a real person; the things that happened really occurred.