Reforming mental health law in England and Wales

doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7544.737

BMJ 2006;332:737-738 (1 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7544.737

Editorial

Reforming mental health law in England and Wales

The government's recent climb down is not a victory: the realbattle is about to begin

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The UK government's announcement that it has abandoned its eightyear attempt to achieve a new Mental Health Act for Englandand Wales¹ is an apparent victory for patients, professionals,and liberal democracy. Faced with vehement, sustained, and almostunanimous opposition from those with an interest in mental healthcare, the government has stated that it will instead introducea shortened and streamlined bill amending the 1983 Mental HealthAct. This amending legislation will replace a draft mental healthbill that had been described as a "public order bill," whichwould be "unethical, unworkable, and also ineffective," evenin enhancing public safety.^w1

The draft bill had succeeded in turn an earlier draft bill,^w2a white paper,^w3 a green paper,^w4 and an expert scoping report.^w5Its most contentious proposals included widening the criteriafor compulsory detention and treatment; removing exclusion clausesin the current law that prevent compulsion for people . . . [Full text of this article]

Nigel Eastman, professor of law and ethics in psychiatry

Division of Mental Health, St George's, University of London, London SW17 0RE
(neastman@sgul.ac.uk)

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