This revised second edition is a complete guide to the Mental Health Act 1983, as amended by the 2007 Act, and is a comprehensive and up-to-date reference work for any mental health professional - from social workers and occupational therapists, to GPs and nurses. It will also be of value to patients and their elatives and carers. Featuring clear guidance on how mental health law operates in practice, this book also describes in close detail how people can be admitted to psychiatric hospital or treated within the community. This revised second edition contains important updates including the Mental Health Tribunal Practice Directions and the recent introduction of the Care Quality Commission and the Health Inspectorate (Wales).

The 2007 amendment to the Mental Health Act provides a legal basis for informal admission, compulsory admission (sometimes referred to as 'sectioning'), as well as guardianship and the new Community Treatment Order, and this too is covered and explained. Also dealt with are the provisions for mentally disordered offenders who may come into mental health services via the courts or by being transferred from prison.

Written by a Solicitor, a Mental Health Act Commissioner and an Approved Social Worker with working experience of putting the law into practice, this book includes:

The full text of the main body of the Mental Health Act (as amended) , as well as the relevant rules and regulations.

Practical advice and checklists for working with the Act.

Updated Case Law and relevant case examples to illustrate key points.