PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Alec Buchanan TI - Commentary: Facts and Values in Competency Assessment DP - 2008 Sep 01 TA - Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online PG - 352--353 VI - 36 IP - 3 4099 - http://jaapl.org/content/36/3/352.short 4100 - http://jaapl.org/content/36/3/352.full SO - J Am Acad Psychiatry Law2008 Sep 01; 36 AB - Dr. Mossman's article cogently describes an approach to measuring the accuracy of competency-to-stand-trial assessments in the presence of a gold standard. I argue that a gold standard may not exist. A conclusion as to whether a defendant is fit to proceed requires a trade-off between a range of desired ends. This trade-off is inevitably influenced by the values of the examiner.