Health Law

The author discusses and contextualises how the law, primarily in the United States but also in other countries, treats mental health, intellectual disabilities, and mental incapacity, giving examples of how issues such as the rights of patients, the death penalty and the insanity defense permeate constitutional, civil, and criminal matters, and indeed the general practice of law.

This text brings together the voices of multidisciplinary experts from coast to coast. It explores complex dynamics at the intersection of mental health and the law and explains more sophisticated concepts in detail. It is a reference to consult when confronted with difficult problems in mental health and the law.

Providing in-depth context into milestone cases in forensic mental health, this book addresses issues such as the confidentiality of mental health records, criminal responsibility, fitness to stand trial, the right of individuals to refuse mental health treatment, and the duty of mental health practitioners to warn and protect individuals who may be at risk of harm at the hands of a patient.

This text is an important resource for understanding the complexities of mental health law and related policy issues in Canada.

Also available in print: KE514 B465 2006 LAW (Reserve).
This edition further examines the logical and temporal sequence of the issues a mentally disordered accused is likely to encounter from arrest to sentencing and offers an overview of the key topics that judges, Crown and defense counsel, and mental health providers face in their day-to-day work with mentally disordered offenders.

This volume offers a comprehensive, interdisciplinary analysis of legal capacity in the realm of mental health. Integrating rigorous academic research with perspectives from people with psychosocial disabilities and their caregivers, the authors provide a holistic overview of pertinent issues and suggest avenues for reform.