Legal Aspects of Occupational Therapy: Part 1

Abstract

The legal anxieties and uncertainties arising from their work are increasingly confronting occupational therapists. It is vital that they are aware of the legal implications. These three articles explore the main spheres of legal liability and professional accountability which arise.

The first article analyses the main provisions of the criminal law and the civil law. The types of offence with which an occupational therapist could be prosecuted are discussed together with a brief outline of the criminal law procedures. Similarly, the occupational therapist's liability before the civil courts is examined and the main elements, which anyone suing him or her would have to prove, are considered. The basis for the calculation of compensation is also examined.