Abstract
In December 2000, the government in England and Wales published a White Paper proposing a radical overhaul of current mental health legislation. Part II of the White Paper contained controversial new proposals to detain indefinitely ‘high-risk’ disordered individuals. These proposals have attracted a large amount of criticism in both legal and medical circles and may contravene the European Convention on Human Rights. This article will outline the proposals for reform and highlight some of the legal and ethical implications, in particular focusing on the extent to which the proposals may be open to challenge under the Human Rights Act 1998.
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