Smokers win right to challenge hospital ban – The Guardian

Posted May 9th, 2011 in hospitals, mental health, news, smoking by sally

“Patients sectioned under the Mental Health Act have won permission to bring a high court test case over a hospital smoking ban.”

Full story

The Guardian, 6th May 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

LSB publishes literature review of legal needs – Legal Services Board

“The LSB has conducted a review of existing research literature into the needs of different groups of legal services consumers. The review summarises the legal needs of a variety of different groups, their methods of accessing legal services and where their needs are not met. The review helps to identify gaps in existing research and will be used to target our future research programme.”

The Legal Needs of Consumer Groups (PDF)

Legal Services Board, 21st April 2011

Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk

Woman jailed for killing autistic son, 12, with bleach – BBC News

“A mother has been jailed for killing her 12-year-old autistic son by making him drink bleach.”

Full story

BBC News, 1st April 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

£5m scheme to divert mentally ill offenders from prison – The Guardian

Posted March 28th, 2011 in criminal justice, imprisonment, mental health, news by sally

“The first stage in setting up a national service to divert mentally ill people from prison is due to be announced by the health secretary, Andrew Lansley, and the justice secretary, Ken Clarke.”

Full story

The Guardian, 28th March 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Call to sue councils that are ‘failing the vulnerable’ – Law Society’s Gazette

“The case of a mentally ill man who attempted suicide after being discharged from hospital to a park bench has prompted mental health solicitors to call on lawyers to sue local authorities that fail to provide adequate healthcare for some of society’s most vulnerable members.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 17th March 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Broadmoor patient makes history with court appeal – The Independent

Posted March 9th, 2011 in disability discrimination, human rights, mental health, news, tribunals by sally

“A patient in Broadmoor Hospital who has spent more than two decades alongside some of Britain’s most dangerous criminals has won the right to have a review into his detention heard in public, The Independent has learned.”

Full story

The Independent, 9th March 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘Phobia’ inmate’s bid to finish jail term at home fails – BBC News

Posted March 1st, 2011 in early release, mental health, news, sentencing by sally

“A prisoner who suffers social phobia has lost his legal fight to complete his jail term under curfew at home.”

Full story

BBC News, 28th February 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Anti-social convict goes to court to finish sentence at home – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 25th, 2011 in imprisonment, mental health, news, sentencing by sally

“A convict with ‘severe social phobia’ has taken a prison governor to court for refusing to let him finish his sentence in privacy of his own home.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 25th February 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Regina (Hertfordshire County Council) v Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council – WLR Daily

Posted February 18th, 2011 in community care, detention, law reports, local government, mental health by sally
“A  mental patient who was compulsorily detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 was not thereby to be treated as ‘resident’ in the local authority within whose area he was detained. On a proper construction of section 117(3) of the 1983 Act the patient’s ‘residence’ was distinct from his place of detention. Section 117 of the 1983 Act was the appropriate section, rather than section 21 of the National Assistance Act 1948, to determine which authority should have the responsibility of paying for the patient’s after-care accommodation.”
WLR Daily, 16th February 2011

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Sex crime entertainer Jason Gaunt ‘acted like teenager’ – BBC News

Posted February 17th, 2011 in child abuse, indecent photographs of children, mental health, news by sally

“A children’s entertainer cannot be sentenced for sex offences against boys until a psychological assessment has taken place, a judge has said.”

Full story

BBC news, 17th February 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

M v Hackney London Borough Council and others – WLR Daily

M v Hackney London Borough Council and others [2011] EWCA Civ 4; [2011] WLR (D) 2

“A hospital trust was entitled to rely upon an application for the admission for treatment of a patient under the Mental Health Act 1983 which appeared to comply with section 6(3) of the Act as being a lawfully made application pursuant to the provisions of the Act. Where such an application, completed by an approved mental health professional (AMHP), had failed to comply with those provisions, the failure rendered the patient’s detention unlawful and imposed the responsibility for the unlawful detention upon the AMHP. The statutory defence in section 139(1), which relieved the AMHP from civil liability unless he or she had acted in bad faith or without reasonable care, would be read down by virtue of section 3 of the Human Rights Act 1998 so as to permit a claim by the detained person for compensation from the AHMP.”

WLR Daily, 17th January 2011

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Mental health patient detained indefinitely for killing brother, nine – The Guardian

Posted January 18th, 2011 in diminished responsibility, homicide, mental health, news by sally

“A mental health patient was detained indefinitely today (17 January) for wounding his sister and stabbing to death his younger brother, with whom he had a close and loving relationship.”

Full story

The Guardian, 17th January 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Gill v Woodall and others – WLR Daily

Posted December 16th, 2010 in law reports, married persons, mental health, undue influence, wills by sally

Gill v Woodall and others [2010] EWCA Civ 1430; [2011] WLR (D) 328

“To determine whether a testatrix knew and approved the contents of her will the proper approach was to consider the factual and expert evidence and to ask whether the testatrix appreciated what was in the will when she signed it. It was not necessary to break down the issue into two separate questions of whether a prima facie case had been made out that the testatrix had not known or approved of the contents of her will and then whether the beneficiary had rebutted that case.”

WLR Daily, 15th December 2010

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Man lawfully killed by son of stabbing victim, coroner rules – The Guardian

Posted December 15th, 2010 in homicide, inquests, mental health, news by sally

“A mechanical engineer who believed he was being controlled by radio waves and fatally attacked a woman in her home, before being stabbed by her teenage son, was lawfully killed.”

Full story

The Guardian, 14th December 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Vulnerable young people trapped in justice system – The Guardian

Posted November 24th, 2010 in criminal justice, learning difficulties, mental health, news, young offenders by sally

“Young people with mental illness and learning difficulties are being let down by youth justice system, a new report reveals.”

Full story

The Guardian, 24th November 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal help for vulnerable ‘at risk’ – BBC News

Posted November 15th, 2010 in autism, criminal justice, mental health, news, police by sally

“The support people with autism get from the police and criminal justice system could be hit by Home Office cuts, a senior legal figure has warned.”

Full story

BBC News, 15th November 2010

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Mother who suffocated baby son to remain in psychiatric unit – The Guardian

Posted November 15th, 2010 in infanticide, mental health, news by sally

“A teacher with severe post-natal depression smothered her 10-day-old son after her medication was taken away, it emerged today.”

Full story

The Guardian, 12th November 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Mental health patients face legal aid delay – The Guardian

Posted November 9th, 2010 in legal aid, mental health, news, tribunals by sally

“People with mental health problems are finding it increasingly difficult to get lawyers to represent them at tribunals because of changes to the legal aid system.”

Full story

The Guardian, 9th November 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ken Clarke’s prison reforms will spare mentally ill offenders jail – The Guardian

Posted November 8th, 2010 in drug abuse, mental health, news, prisons by sally

“Thousands of criminals with serious mental illnesses or drug addictions will no longer be sent to prison but will instead be offered ‘voluntary’ treatment in hospital, under controversial proposals to be unveiled tomorrow.”

Full story

The Guardian, 7th November 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Mother who doused daughter in acid sent to secure unit – The Guardian

Posted October 29th, 2010 in domestic violence, hospital orders, mental health, news by sally

“A schizophrenic mother who stabbed her three-year-old daughter to death before dousing her body in acid must stay in a secure psychiatric hospital for the public’s protection, a judge ruled today.”

Full story

The Guardian, 28th Ocotber 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk