Mental Health Law

The subject of mental health law covers a vast number of diverse interests and public attitudes. In recent times there has been a shift away from issues of detention and treatment in hospital towards the problems raised by the increasing numbers of people discharged from hospital to live within the community. Professor Hoggett gives an account of the basic legal rights of psychiatric patients before, during and after confinement to hospital. The book begins with the fundamental concepts of mental disorder and outlines in detail the basic scheme of hospital admission, the machinery of civil commitment, treatment and management once in hospital and then leaving hospital, whether it be by discharge or absconding. Also included are specific chapters covering the role of social workers, relatives and doctors and an explanation of police powers and general policy in relation to mentally disordered offenders. There is also an explanation of the machinery that may be encountered such as the Mental Health Review Tribunals, the Court of Protection and the Home Secretary's powers.
The work carefully guides the reader through the intricacies of the "Mental Health Act" of 1983 and the important 1989 "Children Act", clarifying both background and intentions.