Dealing with the CETM

The Commission d’examen des troubles mentaux or CETM is an administrative tribunal.

The CETM is not like other tribunals, however. It is a specialized tribunal with unique responsibilities within the judicial system.

The CETM renders decisions that concern solely persons who have been found unfit to stand trial or not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder.

Unlike the criminal court, the CETM does not impose punishment on offenders. Its role is to guarantee public safety while also addressing the needs of those individuals.

A specific context

When a verdict of unfit to stand trial is rendered, criminal court proceedings are suspended. They resume only once the accused becomes fit to stand trial.

During this period, the accused is:

• presumed innocent, as they have not been found guilty of the crime of which they are accused.
• taken under the responsibility of the CETM and forensic services. If they are detained, it is generally in a designated hospital rather than a prison.

A decision that takes everyone’s safety into account

During the hearing before the CETM, the judges must evaluate the mental state of the accused in order to determine whether they are still unfit to stand trial.

Rest assured: the judges’ decisions take into account the risk to public safety—including yours—posed by the accused. This is, in fact, the most important factor that the CETM must consider when rendering a decision.