Legal Aspects of Psychiatric Nursing

Ethical and Legal Aspects of Conducting Clinical Trials in Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome

“…Law says that a person who is under therapy for a altered mental condition may enter into a contract if the person is certified by a group of experts and treating physicians, that the person`s capabilities were adequate and that his/her mental state was optimal for processing of thought and judgement [13].…”

On drafting a new Mental Health Act

“…[12] Let us hope that the collective efforts of the membership of the Society would yield results that would, in the long run, be for the enduring good of mentally ill, in the country! Meanwhile, we must be conscious of the fact that in early 1990s, when the Mental Health Act-1987 arrived, our reckoning was that the new ‘Magna Carta’ would usher in an era of dignified and humane care for all those who are mentally ill.…”

“…Soon, many psychiatrists from all over India perceived the new Act as a huge let-down! [2–5] Why such a total turnaround took place, within a short period? That too, even before most state governments had put in place ‘Mental Health Rules’, for their respective jurisdictions?…”

Forensic psychiatry revisited

“…Psychiatrists cannot be expected to be as knowledgeable of the law as lawyers, but they do need to understand how the law and psychiatry interact in various common clinical situations. [2]…”