Thread by @jamesdoleman

One note on the Julian #Assange case today, as we expect mostly medical evidence today there will be things i will choose not to post.
So if I go quiet it's not that I'm not here.

Judge Vanessa Baraitser enters and proceedings begin.
#Assange

First witness, Professor Michael Copeland, he is a professor of Psychiatry at Kings College London.
#Assange

The witness has produced two reports on Mr Assange's mental state, (as I said previously I'm not going to go into too much detail about those)

(correction, witness is Michael Kopelman)

Witness discussing what risks to Assange's mental health would arise if he was deported and had no contact with his family.
#Assange

Kopelman says there are "a bundle of high-risk factors," to Mr Assange's mental health if he is extradited.
#Assange

James Lewis rises to cross-examine Kopelman for the US government
#Assange

The prosecution QC is now questioning Kopelman on the basis of his diagnosis.
#Assange

lewis raises The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) an international standard diagnostic classification for a wide variety of health conditions, including mental health.
Kopelman says he makes his own diagnosis and thinks ICD definitions can be "political."

Lewis and the witness are now having a very technical discussion about ICD classifications.
#Assange

Kopelman says that ICD classifications of mental health "should not be used in a cookbook fashion" by untrained people.
#Assange

Kopelman reads out a long passage from a textbook
Lewis asks him to give his own opinion not just read out passages
The professor replies
"I have the book, you just a photocopy of a few pages."
#Assange

Lewis asks the witness about the book, "could you just close that for a minute."
Kopelman replies, "I think it should be acceptable."
He doesn't close the book.
#Assange

(Sorry, not sure what the book is as the title has not been mentioned)

Essentially the debate at the moment is if Assange's symptoms constitute severe mental illness, or moderate mental illness.

Lewis suggests to the witness that he has retired, "I've retired from the NHS," he says, saying that if he had stayed his pension would have gone down every year.

Lewis says that the witness is a neuropsychiatrist, which concentrates on physical brain injuries and is not a forensic psychiatrist.
Kopelman replies he was once called by a solicitor who had told him "there is an extradition trial and James Lewis is keen to use your services"

"You don't have to reply to that," the judge tells Lewis.

Defence objects to Lewis' use of the word "malingering" in reference to Assange, says this is not mentioned anywhere, even the prosecutions own reports.

Lewis is naming various medical articles and asking if Kopelman has read them.
"I didn't think I was coming here for some kind of O level test," he replies.

Lewis is now defining "malingering," (pretending to be ill for a specific reason essentially)
Kopelman replies this is usually shown up by inconsistencies in what the patient reports, says he is sceptical about malingering tests.

Kopelman "I do feel Mr Lewis you are trying to put words into my mouth,"

Lewis mentions an incident in prison Kopelman had used in his report, the witness says Assange had told him ir happened, but he agrees he could not find confirmation in the records.
#Assange

Lewis is now going through the paperwork around the alleged prison incident, (I'm not going to get into the details)

Kopelman says he should have added "he told me," to his report on the alleged incident.

The court takes a short break.

Proceedings resume.
#Assange

James Lewis QC, suggests to Kopelman that the fact that prison records do not back up two incidents the witness uses in his report.
The witness says that there are other indications he used too.

Lewis asks the witness why he did not mention in his report that Assange reads the British medical Journal,
He replies that also reads a number of other publications, and he didn't mention those either.

Lewis is citing various reports by prison psychiatric staff, Kopelkman replies that Assange opens up more to him than them, and says many of these reports represent a quick assessment on the way to court."

The witness adds that Mr Assange was very reluctant to talk to many of the staff about his situation because he feared being put on constraint watch or isolation.

Replying to a positive report from a prison psychiatrist Kopelman says this was before Assange was moved to a single cell and before he had examined him.

Lewis, "I'm trying to change your mind, Professor." The witness asks "about what?" The barrister replies, "About your diagnosis," Kopelman says, I'm a psychiatrist, you're a lawyer."
#Assange

Lewis and the witness are having a detailed discussion about Assange's medical history which I'm not going to post about.