Mental Health Law

Mental Health Law Online

Mental Health Online is a free portal website providing an internet resource on mental health law, and mental capacity law, for England & Wales. The site provides links to case law, legislation and general information on mental health; as well as producing an Annual Review which contains all news items, arranged thematically, which were added to the website during that year

Care Quality Commission

The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of all health and adult social care services in England. Its website provides information about what people can expect from health and social care providers, as well as results of reports and inspections. These can be searched by name, location or postcode, and are available to download in PDF format. The site also provides additional links to relevant health and social care organisations and information services.

Ashworth Special Hospital Personality Disorder Unit: Report of the Committee of Inquiry

The Inquiry's final report, published in 1999, is available here in the UK Government Web Archive. Volume 1 (Cm 4194), the main report, and Volume 2 (Cm 4195), containing the expert evidence, are both available, in pdf format. The Committee of Inquiry was chaired by Peter Fallon QC; it investigated the functioning of the Personality Disorder Unit (PDU) at Ashworth Special Hospital, following allegations about the misuse of drugs and alcohol, financial irregularities, possible paedophile activity and the availability of pornographic material on the Unit.

Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland

Website of the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland (MHTS), the forum for making decisions relating to the compulsory care and treatment of people under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003. The site gives background information about the Tribunal, including related legislation; it also provides downloadable forms and the full text of appeals against decisions of the MHTS.

Office of the Public Guardian (Scotland)

The Office of the Public Guardian in Scotland is part of the Scottish Court Service; it was set up under the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000. Its role is to supervise those who have been appointed to manage the financial or property affairs of adults who lack the capacity to do so for themselves. The site gives guidance on powers of attorney, access to funds, intervention orders and guardianship orders. There are forms to download and a link to the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000.

Reforming the Mental Health Act : Part 2. high risk patients

Part two of a policy paper ("white paper") published by the UK Government in December 2000. Gives details of special arrangements for the small minority who pose a threat to others. Arrangements for assessment, for compulsory treatment, and the role of the new Mental Health Tribunals are described. The first part, "The new legal framework" [q.v.] deals with the proposed restructuring of the law for all mental health patients.

Reforming the Mental Health Act : Part 1, the new legal framework

This document was published by the United Kingdom Secretary of State for Health and the Home Secretary in December 2000, and is also known as "The Mental Health White Paper". Part 1 was published as Command Paper 5016-i (Cm.5016-i), and deals with the proposed restructuring of the law for all mental health patients; the second part, "High risk patients" [q.v.] details special arrangements for the small minority who pose a threat to others. Access to full-text is available as a web page.

American Psychology - Law Society

This is the website for the American Psychology - Law Society. The site offers information of interest to members, with a News section, back copies of the society's newsletter, teaching resources and career information. The site is maintained The University of Nebraska Law - Psychology Program. Note that many of the files on the site are in Adobe PDF format.

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