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The Mental Health Act 2001, Irish and European law, and the contribution they make towards protecting the rights of people in relation to involuntary admission to psychiatric hospitals in Ireland
- Author:
- JOY Brid
- Journal article citation:
- Irish Social Worker, Autumn 2012, pp.20-25.
- Publisher:
- Irish Association of Social Workers
For many years Irish law was reluctant to conform to international laws in relation to the treatment of persons with a mental disorder. This changed with the implementation of the 2001 Mental Health Act. The 2001 Mental Health Act helped to bring Irish mental health law into conformity with the European Convention for the protection of human rights and assisted in giving fundamental freedoms to individuals involuntarily admitted. This article examines the current rights individuals involuntarily admitted to psychiatric institutions have in Ireland, and how the laws serve to protect these individuals. It focuses particularly on the effects the 2001 Mental Health Act is having these rights and looks at how the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) acts as a protective force for those who are involuntarily admitted in Ireland. It concludes that, while there are some criticisms of the laws protecting those involuntarily admitted in Ireland, there have also been considerable positive developments.