Barnes M
Department of Sociological Studies, University of Sheffield, England.
Med Law. 1996;15(3):447-53.
Compulsory detention in a psychiatric hospital constrains, but does not remove the rights of those admitted. The mental health laws of different countries provide for various mechanisms intended to protect the rights of detained patients. In the U.K. the Mental Health Act Commission (MHAC) was established to oversee the implementation of the 1983 Mental Health Act as a whole, and to ensure the proper treatment of individuals detained under the Act. This paper will consider the way in which the MHAC fulfills its remit, and reflect on its capacity to preserve the rights of mentally disordered people as citizens as well as patients.
在精神病院强制收治会限制，但不会剥夺被收治者的权利。不同国家的精神卫生法律规定了各种旨在保护被收治患者权利的机制。在英国，设立了精神卫生法委员会（MHAC）来监督1983年《精神卫生法》的整体实施情况，并确保依据该法被收治的个人得到妥善治疗。本文将探讨精神卫生法委员会履行其职责的方式，并思考其在维护精神障碍者作为公民以及患者的权利方面的能力。
