Sentencing and mental disorder: the evolution of the , strategic interdisciplinary advocacy and evidence-based reform.

In , the Victorian Court of Appeal excluded personality disorders from the scope of the sentencing principles that apply to offenders with mental health problems around Australia (the ' principles'). This decision was based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of personality disorders and had the potential to create serious injustice for many marginalised people. To redress this problem, the authors engaged in a unique process of strategic advocacy, which resulted in the Victorian Court of Appeal overturning in the recent case of . This article examines the evolution of the principles, the problems that arose in , the collaborative strategy used to address those problems and the successful outcome of that interdisciplinary strategy.