It is with enthusiasm and pride that the editorial team of the bilingual scientific journal PARRHÈSIA publishes its very first issue. This innovative project is led by Emmanuelle Bernheim (Faculty of Law – Civil Law Section, University of Ottawa), Dave Holmes (School of Nursing, University of Ottawa), Pier-Luc Turcotte (School of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Ottawa), and Jean-Laurent Domingue (School of Nursing, University of Ottawa).

 

The launch of this first regular issue marks the culmination of a journey that began nearly two years ago, when Professor Bernheim and Professor Holmes laid the groundwork for this critical journal in mental health and law. Both respectively hold a Canada Research Chair and a University Chair in related fields, and the two co-editors-in-chief combined their passion to create an international bilingual (French/English) journal with a mission to publish high-quality texts from a critical—and thus political—perspective. Drs Turcotte and Domingue, both recognized for their expertise in these fields, soon joined the team. Dr Turcotte acts as receiving editor, while Dr Domingue is the production editor.

 

The term parrhèsia, dear to Michel Foucault, refers to a form of critical, free, frank, and direct speech, which opposes “the arabesques of flattery.” There is parrhèsia when one who speaks or writes uses plain speech to question the many structures of power in place—be they academic, correctional, hospital, judicial, etc. This form of speech often takes place in authoritarian contexts. Parrhèsiastes are inextricably tied to their discourse, in a relationship to self “structured by freedom.” PARRHÈSIA aims to promote these values and provide a space for free and courageous expression. It seeks to be a forum for informed debate, grounded in rigorous critical analysis, at the intersection of psychiatry and law.

 

PARRHÈSIA – Critical Research in Mental Health and Law is an open-access, multidisciplinary, bilingual, peer-reviewed journal that publishes two issues per year. Authors retain the rights to their texts, with the possibility of republishing elsewhere, provided the original publication in PARRHÈSIA is cited. In a field largely dominated by the medico-legal paradigm—which deeply shapes practices and knowledge—the journal seeks to highlight critical and diverse perspectives, including those of individuals with lived experience of forensic psychiatry and their allies. Guided by a unique editorial vision, PARRHÈSIA aims to become an international platform for innovative and transformative research, grounded in a plurality of epistemological, theoretical, methodological, and disciplinary approaches. In a political context where initiatives to increase coercion against increasingly marginalized groups are multiplying, the founding of PARRHÈSIA constitutes an act of resistance.

 

Creating a scientific journal of this scope requires time, organization, and determination. But without the support of colleagues and friends, this project would not have come to life. We warmly thank the Deans of the Faculty of Law (Professor Sylvestre) and the Faculty of Health Sciences (Professor Thibault) for their unwavering support, as well as for the special funding that allowed us to finance the website, graphic design, and promotion of the journal. Our most sincere thanks also go to Sean Boxer, graphic designer, for the high quality of his work, his aesthetic sense, and his patience.

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The Editorial Team