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A blog on health governance, law, and ethics, by health law experts at Sydney Law School

There is no national mental health law in Germany: the 16 German states are responsible for legislation concerning forced admissions, while the German Civil Code covers non-acute care, in particular for those not able to care for themselves. In forensic psychiatry, both federal and state laws apply. This article describes this situation and provides figures about detentions and other aspects of mental health law in Germany.

Like all European countries, Greece has developed its national legislation based on the principles of equality and the right of representation, but there is no separate, specific mental health law in Greece. This paper describes the law for involuntary psychiatric admission. The law concerning criminal and civil responsibility and the law relating to individuals with addictions committing drug-related crimes are also outlined.

Brazil is a Federal Union which comprises 27 member states, one Federal District, and about 5000 municipalities. According to the Federal Constitution (Constituição da República Federativa do Brasil; Diário Oficial da União, 05/out/1988), the competence to rule over health issues is shared by all of them. So, in each part of the country three levels of legislation apply: federal, state and local law. However, as an inferior level of law must not conflict with a superior one, there is a relative uniformity throughout the country, at least in theory. Regarding actual mental healthcare delivery, there are many differences across the Brazilian regions, mostly due to socioeconomic variation.

There is no separate mental health act in Hungary and there has never been one. This paper gives some historical background and then summarises the legislation that relates to mental health.

In Denmark, the parliament passed the first Mental Health Act (MHA) in 1938. A new Act was passed in 1989, based on a thorough report from the Ministry of Justice. The 1989 Act emphasised the protection of citizens' legal rights in relation to compulsory admission, detention and treatment in psychiatric hospitals. That Act is still in operation, although it has been amended several times. In 2006 the definition of 'compulsion' was changed, and a 2010 amendment introduced compulsory treatment in the community for a trial period of 4 years.

Continued efforts to produce appropriate mental health legislation in Pakistan led to the Mental Health Ordinance of 2001. However, with the 18th amendment to the constitution and devolution of health responsibilities to the provincial governments, it became the task of the provinces to pass appropriate mental health legislation through their respective assemblies. Currently the mental health legislative picture is fragmented and unsatisfactory. Only the provinces of Sindh and Punjab have a mental health act in place and there is an urgent need for similar legislative frameworks in other provinces to protect the rights of those with mental illness.