Dr Christopher Bench
General Adult and Forensic Psychiatry
Principal / Consultant Psychiatrist
Dr Bench completed his medical training at the University of Sydney. After working in forensic psychiatry in New Zealand, he completed his formal psychiatric training at St Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York, where he was Chief Resident.
Dr Bench went on to complete a Fellowship in Psychiatry and the Law at the University of Southern California Institute of Psychiatry and Law. He then worked as a consultant psychiatrist in a maximum security psychiatric unit in Los Angeles and had a private practice specialising in criminal forensic psychiatry, testifying in the Superior Court of Los Angeles on numerous occasions.
Dr Bench returned to Australia in 2006 to take up the position of Staff Specialist - Forensics. He was the the Medical Superintendent at Morisset Hospital for five years. He then held the position of Senior Staff Specialist in Forensic Psychiatry and worked with the Newcastle Court Liaison Service. Dr Bench also held a position of Visiting Medical Officer with Justice Health and worked at Cessnock Correctional Facility.
Dr Bench maintains a private practice specialising in the provision of medico-legal reports and general adult psychiatric treatment. He has been qualified as an expert witness in Forensic Psychiatry in the District Court of New South Wales. Dr Bench has been appointed as a Motor Accidents Authority Medical Assessment Service Assessor and Review Panel Assessor. Dr Bench is a Medical Assessor for the Personal Injury Commission of NSW. He is also a trained Assessor of Permanent Impairment for Workcover NSW, Comcare and the Motor Accidents Authority.