Advocacy

Abstract

This chapter takes as its starting point the lack of control felt by psychiatric patients who are detained against their will and who are forcibly medicated. It examines the principles inherent in the tension between inpatient psychiatry and mental health jurisprudence, including the European Convention on Human Rights and the Mental Health Act 1983 as amended by the Mental Health Act 2007. It explains by what methods those deprived of their liberty in psychiatric settings can challenge their detention. Finally, it outlines the roles of psychiatrists, lawyers, and non-legal advocates in ensuring that patients’ human rights are upheld. It is written for practising psychiatrists who are involved in the detention and treatment of patients.