Governing Legislation and Resources for Mental Health (14:II)

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This chapter deals with the legal issues that may arise due to a person’s mental disorder. By ‘mental disorder’, we are referring to the range of illnesses and disorders dealt with by psychiatry. It is important to keep in mind that mental illness is not the same as mental incapacity. For legal matters concerning mental incapacity, please consult Chapter 15: Guardianship.

For purposes of this Chapter, the most important statute is the Mental Health Act, RSBC 1996, c 288 [MHA]. Other legislation which may have relevance is listed Part B of this introduction, “Governing Legislation and Resources”. If you are asked for advice with respect to a person who has come into conflict with the law and shows signs of psychiatric disturbance, you may also need to review the Forensic Psychiatry Act, RSBC 1996, c 156 [FPA].

This chapter provides a very general overview of the rights of persons with mental illnesses, either as patients inside a mental health facility or as persons outside such a facility. The discussion of mental health law is intended to provide the reader with a general framework to use to offer advice, or as a basis for further research. An excellent resource for further information or referrals is the Community Legal Assistance Society (CLAS). CLAS runs a mental health law program that represents individuals at hearings before the BC Criminal Code Review Board, under Part XX.1 of the Mental Disorder provisions of the Criminal Code of Canada and the BC Mental Health Review Board under the MHA. BC Review Board Hearings, and BC Mental Health Act tribunal hearings. CLAS also provides legal information and identifies potential test cases. See Chapter 22: Referrals for CLAS contact information.