LAWS6877 - Mental Illness: Law & Policy
Objectives
- Examine the law relating to mental health issues in Australia including human rights principles.
- Investigate the background material on the nature and incidence of mental illness, psychiatric and medical issues; consider criminological and public policy literature where relevant.
- Explore substantive issues from civil treatment, welfare law and criminal law.
Content
The social context of mental illness and the current and historical approaches to treatment of the mentally ill; contemporary State, Territorial and Federal involvement in mental health policy and legislation; the present framework of NSW mental health law and related welfare law; the process of scheduling persons with a mental illness; review mechanisms; longer term detention of the mentally ill; community treatment and community counselling orders; protected estates and guardianship orders; electroconvulsive therapy; consent to surgery and special medical treatment; defence not guilty on the grounds of mental illness, the review of forensic patients and the exercise of the executive discretion; the issue of unfitness to be tried; the involuntary treatment of prisoners in the correctional system; and proposals and options for reform.
Session
Semester 2 Intensive
25-26 September & 2-3 October 2009
The timetable is subject to frequent changes. Please refer to the latest version of the Postgraduate Timetable.
Assessment
- 1 x 3,000 Word Assignment (40%)
- 1 x 4,500 Word Research Paper (60%)
Courses this unit is available in
Master of Laws | Graduate Diploma in Law | Master of Criminology | Graduate Diploma in Criminology | Master of Health Law | Graduate Diploma in Health Law | Graduate Diploma in Public Health Law