Mental Health Law in England and Wales is a comprehensive guide to the Mental Health Act 1983 for any mental health professional - from social workers, psychologists and occupational therapists, to doctors and nurses. The book aims to simplify mental health law so that it’s accessible to busy professionals at all stages of practice as well as those affected by mental health law.

Key chapters include details on who operates the Act, who is affected by it, how the law governs issues of capacity and consent to treatment, how to appeal against compulsion, and the role of the nearest relative. There are also important chapters on advocacy, children and human rights issues, as well as extensive appendices which provide access to the 1983 Act itself, important rules and regulations, and a summary of key cases.

This Fifth Edition includes: 

- Practical advice and checklists for working with the Act.

- An updated text of the Mental Health Act and relevant Rules and Regulations.

- Recent case law including the Devon judgment on Mental Health Act assessments.

- A summary of the Human Rights Act 1998.

- Guidance on the interface between the Mental Health Act and the Mental Capacity Act.

- Recent case law concerning the ‘relevant information’ when assessing for incapacity.