REGARDING ETHICS IN FORENSIC NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL CONSULTATION - A COMMENT ON GUILMETTE AND HAGAN

Guilmette and Hagan present an issue that is important to neuropsychol ogists who engage in forensic practice: the applicability of the APA E thics Code to situations where neuropsychologists consult with attorne ys but do not testify or otherwise reveal their identity to opposing a ttorneys or consultants. The resulting anonymity could encourage the m isuse of neuropsychological knowledge, according to Guilmette and Haga n. A review of the APA Ethics Code reveals that deliberate use of neur opsychological knowledge to assist attorneys in misleading juries and others is clearly not consistent with the spirit or the letter of the Code. Neuropsychologists are advised to behave in a manner consistent with the Code, even when seemingly protected by a cloak of anonymity.