This presentation will focus on the importance of psychiatrists understanding that they operate at an interface between two very different disciplines; medicine and law. There will be consideration of what and why psychiatrists need to understand the law, the way it operates and the likely implications of their opinions. There will be consideration of an example from England and Wales to illustrate the way in which psychiatry and law might interpret the same information. The aim is that psychiatrists will be better equipped to face the challenges the law presents.