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United Kingdom

UK Supreme Court: necessity test under Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 and MHA 1983; article 15 leave of absence counts as hospital detention; significant component approach rejected

Published on: 24 September 2024

Published by a LexisNexis Public Law expert
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Article summary

Re an application by RM (a person under disability) by SM, (his father and next friend) for Judicial Review (Northern Ireland); Re an application by RM (a person under disability) by SM, (his father and next friend) for Judicial Review (Northern Ireland) No 2 [2024] UKSC 7

What are the practical implications of this case?

This judgment clarifies how the rules on discharging a mentally disordered patient compulsorily detained for medical treatment operate, and how they interrelate with provisions on leave of absence. The Supreme Court’s conclusions will assist practitioners working with the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 (the 1986 Order), SI 1986/596, and the MeHA 1983. It confirms that, despite differing wording, the detention standard under the 1986 Order aligns with that in the MeHA 1983: the decisive threshold is necessity. Accordingly, case law on the MeHA 1983 from England and Wales can usefully guide the consideration of issues concerning detention under the 1986 Order, SI 1986/596, and vice versa. This confirms that jurisprudence from England and Wales is applicable when interpreting the Northern Ireland regime, and likewise decisions concerning the 1986 Order may inform MeHA 1983 questions about detention and leave arrangements...

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