Mental health law: Difference between revisions

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Mental health law includes a wide variety of legal topics that pertain to persons with a diagnosis or possible diagnosis of mental illness, and to those involved in managing or treating such people. Mental health law has received little attention in scholarly legal forums. The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 2011 announced the formation of a student-edited law journal entitled "Mental Health Law & Policy Journal."

Involuntary Commitment

Mental health legislation is largely used in the management of psychiatric disorders, such as dementia or psychosis, and developmental disabilities, where a person does not possess the ability to act in a legally competent manner and requires treatment and/or another person to act in his or her best interests. The laws generally cover the requirements and procedures for involuntary commitment and compulsory treatment in a psychiatric hospital or other facility.

In some jurisdictions, court orders are required for compulsory treatment; in others, psychiatrists may treat compulsorily by following set procedures, usually with means of appeal or regular scrutiny to ensure compliance with the law.

Sources of Law

Mental health law includes areas of both civil and criminal common and statutory law.

In common law jurisdictions

Common law is based on long-standing English legal principles, as interpreted through case law. Mental health-related legal concepts include mens rea, insanity defences; legal definitions of "sane," "insane," and "incompetent;" informed consent; and automatism, amongst many others.

Statutory Law

Statutory law usually takes the form of a mental health statute. An example is the Mental Health Act 1983 in England and Wales. These acts codify aspects of the treatment of mental illness and provides rules and procedures to be followed and penalties for breaches.

Not all countries have mental health acts. The World Health Report (2001) lists the following percentages, by region, for countries with and without mental health legislation.^[1]

Regions	With legislation	No legislation
Africa	59%	41%
The Americas	73%	27%
Eastern Mediterranean	59%	41%
Europe	96%	4%
South-East Asia	67%	33%
Western Pacific	72%	28%

Notes

^ Presence of mental health policies and legislation, The World Health Report 2001, chap. 4, fig. 4.1 (accessed June 8, 2005).

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 {{Refimprove|date=December 2007}}
-'''Mental health law''' includes a wide variety of legal topics that pertain to persons with a diagnosis or possible diagnosis of [[Mental disorder|mental illness]], and to those involved in managing or treating such people.
+'''Mental health law''' includes a wide variety of legal topics that pertain to persons with a diagnosis or possible diagnosis of [[Mental disorder|mental illness]], and to those involved in managing or treating such people. Mental health law has received little attention in scholarly legal forums. The University of Memphis [[Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law]] in 2011 announced the formation of a student-edited law journal entitled "Mental Health Law & Policy Journal."
+==Involuntary Commitment==
-==Mental health law in general==
 Mental health legislation is largely used in the management of psychiatric disorders, such as [[dementia]] or [[psychosis]], and [[developmental disabilities]], where a person does not possess the ability to act in a legally competent manner and requires treatment and/or another person to act in his or her best interests.  The laws generally cover the requirements and procedures for [[involuntary commitment]] and compulsory treatment in a psychiatric hospital or other facility.
 In some [[jurisdiction]]s, court orders are required for compulsory treatment; in others, psychiatrists may treat compulsorily by following set procedures, usually with means of appeal or regular scrutiny to ensure compliance with the law.
+==Sources of Law==
-Mental health law has received little attention in scholarly legal forums. The University of Memphis [[Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law]] in 2011 announced the formation of a student-edited law journal entitled "Mental Health Law & Policy Journal."
-==In common law jurisdictions==
 Mental health law includes areas of both [[Civil law (common law)|civil]] and [[Criminal law|criminal]] [[common law|common]] and [[statutory law]].
+===In common law jurisdictions===
 Common law is based on long-standing English legal principles, as interpreted through [[case law]]. Mental health-related legal concepts include [[mens rea]], [[insanity defence]]s; legal definitions of "[[Sanity#Law|sane]]," "insane," and "[[Competence (law)|incompetent]];" [[informed consent]];  and [[Automatism (law)|automatism]], amongst many others.
+===Statutory Law===
 Statutory law usually takes the form of a mental health statute. An example is the [[Mental Health Act 1983]] in England and Wales. These acts codify aspects of the treatment of mental illness and provides rules and procedures to be followed and penalties for breaches.
-==Around the world==
 Not all countries have mental health acts. The World Health Report (2001) lists the following percentages, by region, for countries with and without mental health legislation.{{ref|who}}