Western Australian Consolidated Acts

MENTAL HEALTH ACT 1996

TABLE OF PROVISIONS

           Long Title

   PART 1 -- Preliminary  

   1.      Short title  
   2.      Commencement  
   3.      Terms used in this Act  
   4.      Meaning of “mental illness”  
   5.      Objects of Act  
   6.      Objectives of persons performing certain functions  

   PART 2 -- Administrative provisions  

           Division 1 -- The Minister  

   7.      Functions of the Minister  

           Division 2 -- The Chief Psychiatrist  

   8.      Chief Psychiatrist  
   9.      Responsibilities of Chief Psychiatrist for psychiatric care  
   10.     Other functions of Chief Psychiatrist  
   11.     Chief Psychiatrist subject to CEO  
   12.     Directions as to treatment  
   13.     Powers of inspection  
   14.     Offences  
   15.     Chief Psychiatrist may order that patient be allowed to be visited  
   16.     Delegation by Chief Psychiatrist  

           Division 3 -- Psychiatrists and authorised practitioners  

   17.     Register of psychiatrists  
   18.     Authorised medical practitioners  
   19.     Mental health practitioners  
   20.     Authorised mental health practitioners  

           Division 4 -- Authorised hospitals  

   21.     Authorisation of hospitals  

           Division 5 -- The Registrar  

   22.     Registrar and staff of Board  
   23.     President may give Registrar directions  
   24.     Functions of Registrar  
   25.     Delegation to Registrar  

   PART 3 -- Involuntary patients  

           Division 1 -- Becoming an involuntary patient  

              Subdivision 1 -- Criteria  

   26.     Persons who should be involuntary patients  
   27.     Application to mentally impaired accused  

              Subdivision 2 -- Referral for examination  

   28.     Term used in this Subdivision  
   29.     Referral for examination by a psychiatrist  
   30.     Referral of voluntary patients in certain circumstances  
   31.     No referral without personal examination  
   32.     Time limit  
   33.     Form of referral  
   34.     Police assistance  
   35.     Operation of transport order  

              Subdivision 3 -- Examination in an authorised hospital  

   36.     Detention for examination  
   37.     Choices upon examination  

              Subdivision 4 -- Examination otherwise than in an authorised hospital  

   38.     Time limit  
   39.     Choices upon examination  
   40.     Reception into hospital  
   41.     Police assistance  
   42.     Operation of transport order  

              Subdivision 5 -- Involuntary status  

   43.     Order giving involuntary status  
   44.     Mentally Impaired Accused Review Board to be notified in certain cases  

           Division 2 -- Detention in authorised hospital  

              Subdivision 1 -- Place of detention  

   45.     Hospital in which a person is to be detained  
   46.     Transfer  
   47.     Person in charge of hospital may decline to accept  

              Subdivision 2 -- Period of detention  

   48.     Initial period  
   49.     Examination within 28 days  
   50.     Subsequent examinations within 6 months  
   51.     Effect of order continuing detention  
   52.     Order for release may be made at any time  
   53.     Saving  

              Subdivision 3 -- Release from detention  

   54.     Release when period of detention ends  
   55.     When person to be returned to custody  
   56.     Examination of prisoner about to be discharged  

              Subdivision 4 -- Absence without leave  

   57.     Absence without leave  
   58.     Apprehension of person absent without leave  

              Subdivision 5 -- Leave of absence  

   59.     Grant of leave  
   60.     Cancellation of leave  
   61.     Status of patient on leave of absence  
   62.     Monitoring of patient on leave  
   63.     Release on advice of practitioner while patient on leave  
   64.     Saving  

           Division 3 -- Treatment of involuntary patient in the community  

              Subdivision 1 -- Making community treatment order  

   65.     No detention without consideration of community treatment  
   66.     When a community treatment order may be made  
   67.     General power to make a community treatment order  
   68.     Terms of community treatment order  
   69.     Order to be confirmed  
   70.     Revocation of a community treatment order  
   71.     Police assistance  
   72.     Carrying out of transport order  

              Subdivision 2 -- Operation of community treatment order  

   73.     Duration of community treatment order  
   74.     The supervising psychiatrist  
   75.     Review by supervising psychiatrist  
   76.     Extension of community treatment order  
   77.     Supervising psychiatrist may act on authorised medical practitioner’s report  
   78.     Person may be discharged from involuntary status  
   79.     Variation of order  

              Subdivision 3 -- Breach of community treatment order  

   80.     What constitutes breach of order  
   81.     Action following breach  
   82.     Action where breach continues  
   83.     Treatment may be given without consent  
   84.     Police assistance  
   85.     Power of revocation not affected  

   PART 4 -- Interstate movements  

   86.     Term used in this Part  
   87.     Agreements  
   88.     Best interests of person to be considered  
   89.     Persons apprehended  
   90.     Referral for examination  
   91.     Transfer to another jurisdiction  

   PART 5 -- Treatment of patients  

           Division 1 -- General  

   92.     Terms used in this Part  
   93.     Treatment of persons on remand  
   94.     Mentally Impaired Accused Review Board to be notified of treatment of mentally impaired accused  

           Division 2 -- Informed consent  

   95.     Requirements for informed consent  
   96.     Capacity to give informed consent  
   97.     Explanation to be given  
   98.     Sufficient time to be given  

           Division 3 -- Prohibited treatment  

   99.     Offence to administer certain treatment  

           Division 4 -- Psychosurgery  

   100.    Meaning of “psychosurgery”  
   101.    Prerequisites to psychosurgery  
   102.    Applications for approval to perform psychosurgery  
   103.    Board must satisfy itself of certain matters  

           Division 5 -- Electroconvulsive therapy  

              Subdivision 1 -- Involuntary patients and mentally impaired accused  

   104.    Prerequisites  
   105.    Matters for consideration by psychiatrist  
   106.    Reference to Board  

              Subdivision 2 -- Other patients  

   107.    Informed consent required  

           Division 6 -- Other treatment, involuntary patients and mentally impaired accused  

   108.    Meaning of “psychiatric treatment” in this Division  
   109.    Consent not required for psychiatric treatment  
   110.    Medical treatment may be approved by the Chief Psychiatrist  
   111.    Opinion of another psychiatrist may be requested  
   112.    Further remedy where person dissatisfied  

           Division 7 -- Emergency psychiatric treatment  

   113.    Term used in this Division  
   114.    Consent or approval dispensed with  
   115.    Duties of person giving emergency treatment  

           Division 8 -- Seclusion of patients  

   116.    Term used in this Division  
   117.    Seclusion only allowed at authorised hospital  
   118.    Seclusion must be authorised  
   119.    Giving of authorisation  
   120.    Special duties where patient kept in seclusion  

           Division 9 -- Mechanical bodily restraint  

   121.    Term used in this Division  
   122.    Mechanical bodily restraint must be authorised  
   123.    Giving of authorisation  
   124.    Use of restraint to be reported to Board  

   PART 6 -- Mental Health Review Board  

           Division 1 -- Establishment and administration  

              Subdivision 1 -- Establishment  

   125.    Establishment of Mental Health Review Board  
   126.    Members of Board  
   127.    Panel for psychosurgery matters  
   128.    Certain provisions concerning members  

              Subdivision 2 -- How Board to be constituted  

   129.    Constitution of Board, general functions  
   130.    Constitution of Board, psychosurgical matters  
   131.    Concurrent sittings  

              Subdivision 3 -- Procedure  

   132.    Meetings  
   133.    Telephone and video meetings  
   134.    Resolution may be passed without meeting  
   135.    Proceedings before Board  
   136.    Public access to Board’s records  

           Division 2 -- Reviews and enquiries  

   137.    Matters to be considered upon review  
   138.    Initial review  
   139.    Periodic reviews  
   140.    Determination of whether person has been continuously an involuntary patient  
   141.    Time of review may be extended in certain cases  
   142.    Application for review by Mental Health Review Board  
   143.    Order may be suspended pending review  
   144.    Review by Board of its own motion  
   145.    Powers on carrying out review  
   146.    Complaints  
   147.    Enquiries directed by Minister  
   148.    Reports to Minister  

           Division 2A -- Applications to State Administrative Tribunal  

   148A.   Application for review  
   148B.   Constitution of State Administrative Tribunal, generally  
   148C.   Constitution of State Administrative Tribunal, psychosurgical matters  
   148D.   Proceeding before State Administrative Tribunal  
   148E.   Application for determination of question of law  

           Division 3 -- Appeal from State Administrative Tribunal  

   149.    Appeal  
   150.    Grounds of appeal  
   151.    Time for appeal  
   152.    Person to whom order relates to be legally represented  

   PART 7 -- Protection of patients’ rights  

           Division 1 -- Patients’ rights generally  

   156.    Explanation of rights to be given  
   157.    Copy of explanation to be given to another person  
   158.    Responsibility for giving explanation etc.  
   159.    Affected person to be given copy of order  
   160.    Access to personal records  
   161.    Exceptions to section 160  
   162.    Offence of ill-treatment  

           Division 2 -- Further rights of in-patients  

   163.    Term used in this Division  
   164.    Patient to be afforded interview  
   165.    Personal possessions  
   166.    Letters of patients and other postal articles  
   167.    Access to telephone  
   168.    Visitors  
   169.    Restriction or denial of entitlement  
   170.    Application to Board  
   171.    Restriction or denial of right to be reported on review  

   PART 8 -- Community support services  

   172.    Terms used in this Part  
   173.    Power of CEO to allocate funds  
   174.    Funding and services agreements  

   PART 9 -- Council of Official Visitors  

           Division 1 -- Administrative and procedural provisions  

   175.    Terms used in this Part  
   176.    Establishment of Council of Official Visitors  
   177.    Members of Council of Official Visitors  
   178.    Disqualification  
   179.    Term of office  
   180.    Remuneration and allowances  
   181.    Meetings  
   182.    Executive officer and other staff  
   183.    Minutes to be kept  
   184.    Public access to Council’s records  
   185.    Delegation  

           Division 2 -- Functions  

   186.    Functions of the Council of Official Visitors  
   187.    Panels  
   188.    Functions of an official visitor  
   189.    Request for visit  
   190.    Powers of an official visitor  
   191.    Offences  
   192.    Reports  

   PART 10 -- Miscellaneous  

           Division 1 -- Restrictions on authority of practitioners  

   193.    Terms used in section  
   194.    When practitioner not to act  

           Division 2 -- Police powers  

   195.    Taking mentally ill person into protective custody  
   196.    Police officer may have arrested person examined  
   197.    Further powers of police when apprehending  
   198.    What may be seized under section 197  
   199.    Disposal of things seized  
   200.    Use of reasonable force  

           Division 3 -- Capacity to vote  

   201.    Determination of capacity to vote  
   202.    Chief Psychiatrist to notify Electoral Commissioner  
   203.    Application to Board  

           Division 4 -- Records and information  

   204.    Records  
   205.    Access to certain information about patient  
   206.    Confidentiality  

           Division 5 -- Inquiries  

   207.    Minister may appoint person to inquire  
   208.    Powers of person conducting inquiry  
   209.    How inquiry to be conducted  
   210.    Offences in relation to inquiry  

           Division 6 -- General  

   211.    Offence of obstructing the performance of functions  
   212.    Amendment of certain documents  
   213.    Protection from liability  
   214.    Regulations  
   215.    Review  
           SCHEDULE 1 -- Provisions concerning members of Board  
           SCHEDULE 2 -- Provisions concerning proceedings before Board  
           SCHEDULE 2A -- Provisions concerning a proceeding before the State Administrative Tribunal  
           SCHEDULE 3 -- When an official visitor has a disqualifying interest  
           Compilation table