Prof Philip Geert Stevens

Position, academic and professional qualifications
 
Philip Stevens is a full professor in Criminal Law and Statutory Crimes and holds the degrees LLB (cum laude), LLM (cum laude) and LLD (doctorate in Criminal Law) from the University of Pretoria. The title of his doctoral thesis was “The role of expert evidence in support of the defence of criminal incapacity”. His main focus areas for research are criminal law and mental health law with specific reference to the interface between criminal law and mental health law. He serves on the Faculty of Law’s Research Ethics committee, as well as the Research Ethics Committee at the Faculty of Health Sciences. He is an associate member of the Pretoria Bar.
 
Academic and professional experience
 
Professor Stevens was an academic associate within the Departments of Jurisprudence and Procedural Law at the University of Pretoria whilst completing his postgraduate studies. He was a lecturer in the subject fields of Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure at the University of South Africa. In 2009 he was admitted as an advocate of the High Court of South Africa. In 2010 he was called to the Pretoria Bar and is still an associate member of the Pretoria Bar.  Early in 2012 he joined the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria as a senior lecturer and was promoted to associate professor with effect 1 January 2017.  He was promoted to full professor from 1 January 2020.
 
Teaching activities
He teaches Criminal Law (STR 410 and 420) and Statutory Crimes (SMI 410).
 
Selected recent publications
  • ‘Forget me not: Thoughts on the crossroads between law and medicine in assessing claims of amnesia’ De Jure 2 (44) 273-289
  • ‘Unravelling the entrapment enigma: Reflections on the role of the mental health expert in the assessment of battered woman syndrome and coercive control advanced in support of a defence of non-pathological criminal incapacity (1)and (2) Journal of Contemporary Roman Dutch Law (THRHR) 74 (3) 432-448
  • ‘The hand that rocks the cradle: Reflections on postpartum psychosis and the defence of pathological criminal incapacity’ Journal of Contemporary Roman Dutch Law (THRHR) 75 (2) 280-287
  • ‘Pathological criminal incapacity and the conceptual interface between law and medicine (co-author J le Roux)’ South African Journal on Criminal Justice 25 (1) 44-66
  • ‘Multiple Acts of Sexual Penetration Within a Short Period of Time – Single or Multiple Acts of Rape?’ Obiter (2013)34 (1) 159-165
  • ‘Re-establishing triability by means of psychotropic medication: An analysis’ Journal of Contemporary Roman Dutch Law (THRHR) 76 (2)  252-260
  • ‘The mirror has Two Faces: Dissociative Identity Disorder and the Defence of Pathological Criminal Incapacity – A South African Criminal Law Perspective’ Medicine and Law 32 (1) pp 33-52
  • ‘Decriminalising consensual sexual acts between adolescents within a constitutional framework: The Teddy Bear Clinic for Abused Children and Another v Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development and Others: Case 73300/10 [2013] ZAGPPHC 1 (4 January 2013)’ South African Journal of Criminal Justice (2013)(1) pp 41-54
  • ‘Re-assessing the interpretation of “pointing” for purposes of establishing the offence of pointing a firearm – Xabendlini v State (608/10) [2011] ZASCA 86’ Journal of Contemporary Roman Dutch Law (THRHR) 76 (3) pp 468-471.
  • Hannibal Revisited: Antisocial Personality Disorder versus Psychopathy – Medico-legal perspectives from South Africa- Medicine and Law 2014(2).
  • The Role of Impulse control disorders in assessing criminal responsibility-medicolegal perspectives from South Africa Psychiatry, Psychology and Law (2015).
  • Paraphilia and sex offending-a South African Criminal Law Perspective-submitted for publication in the International Journal of Law and Psychiatry (2016)(2).
  • Recent trends in Explaining Abuse within Intimate Relationships- Journal of Criminal Law- (2014)(2).
  • Adjudicating pathological criminal incapacity within a climate of ultimate issue barriers-a comparative perspective- in International Journal of Law and Psychiatry (2015)(1).
  • Behavioural Science Evidence in Child Sexual Abuse Prosecutions in South Africa: A Jurisprudential and Comparative insight (Co-author E Lubaale) Obiter (2015)(2).
  • The concept of premeditation in South African criminal –Quo Vadis? South African Journal of Criminal Justice (2015)(3)
  • “Paraphilia and sex offending - a South African Criminal Law Perspective”  in the International Journal of Law and Psychiatry- (2016) 47 p 93-101
  • “Ethical Issues pertaining to forensic assessments in mental capacity assessments-reflections from South Africa’-Psychiatry, Psychology and Law (2017) 24(4) p 628-639
  • "A Mother’s Love? Postpartum disorders, the DSM-5 and criminal responsibility - a South African medicolegal perspective” Psychiatry, Psychology and Law (2018) 25 (2) 186-196
International conferences
  • Attended the Summer School on International Criminal Law, Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Law at the Salzburg Law School presented from 5 August – 16 August 2013.
  • Colabarated with Professor PA Carstens in the presentation of the paper “Revisiting the Infamous Pernkopf Anatomy Atlas: Historical Lessons for Medical Law and Medical Ethics” – presented at the UNESCO 9th World Conference in Bioethics, Medical Ethics and Health Law held In Naples, Italy 19-21November 2013.
  • Presented a conference paper entitled “The Role of Impulse Control Disorders in assessing criminal responsibility-Medico-legal perspectives from South Africa-presented at the Pan Europe Pacific International Medical and Legal conference held in Paris 13-20 April 2015.
  • Presented a paper entitled “Paraphilia and Sex Offending-a South African Criminal Law perspective-presented at the XXXIVth congress by the International Academy of Law and Mental Health held in Vienna, Austria 12-17 July 2015.
  • Presented a paper entitled “Ethical Issues pertaining to forensic assessments in mental capacity assessments-reflections from South Africa-presented at the UNESCO conference on Bioethics, Medical ethics and Health law, Naples Italy 20-22 October 2015
  • Presented a paper entitled “Postpartum disorders, the DSM 5 and criminal responsibility-A South African Medicolegal perspective at Unesco 12th World Conference in Bioethics, Medical Ethics and Health Law, Limassol, Cyprus March 21-23 2017
  • Presented a paper entitled “Hannibal revisited-antisocial personality disorder versus psychopathy-medicolegal perspectives from South Africa at XXXV congress by the International Academy of Law and Mental Health held in Prague 9-14 July 2017
  • Presented a paper entitled “My brain made me do it-Reflections on the role of neuroscience in assessing criminal responsibility-A South African medico legal perspective” at XXXVI International Congress on Law and Mental Health held in Rome, Italy from 21-26 July 2019
Doctoral students who have completed their study under his supervision
 
EC Lubaale “Bridging the justice gap in the prosecution of acquaintance child sexual abuse: a case of South Africa and Uganda” completed in 2015.
 
Areas of specialisation
 
His main areas of specialisation are Criminal Law and Mental Health Law.
 
Academic and professional memberships
 
He is an associate member of the Pretoria Bar.
 
Contact details
- Author Department of Public Law

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