This chapter explores the law in relation to mental health, and the concepts and principles engaged in its justification and critique. It compares the statutory frameworks across the UK jurisdictions, focusing first on the involuntary treatment of mental health problems, the legal criteria for when these powers may be used, and limitations or safeguards placed on those powers. It then discusses the legal rules which allow decisions to be taken on behalf of adults found to lack capacity to make decisions for themselves, discussing recent trends in case law relating to capacity and best interests. This chapter also considers relevant human rights instruments and their impact on the legal framework, focusing on Article 5 ECHR (the right to liberty), its interpretation in UK law, the impact of the UK Supreme Court Cheshire West (2014) case, and the relationship between mental health law and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The chapter concludes by discussing current programmes of reform in the area.
