Legal advice
If you have questions about the law and mental health, you can call the Legal Line run by Mind, the mental health charity.
They provide legal information and general advice on the law related to mental health, covering:
- mental health
- mental capacity
- community care
- human rights, discrimination and equality related to mental health
: 0300 466 6463
The Legal Line is free to use but the phone call may be charged at your local rate.
Mental health and the law
The Mental Health Act 1983 is the main legislation in England and Wales for people who have a mental illness. It was updated in 2007.
For an overview of your rights under the Mental Health Act, go to Mind: Mental Health Act 1983.
The Mental Capacity Act 2005 sets out your rights for when you no longer have the mental capacity to make decisions for yourself. It tells you:
- what you can do to plan ahead
- how you can ask someone else to make decisions for you
- who can make decisions for you if you haven't planned ahead
For an overview of your rights under the Mental Capacity Act, go to Mind: Mental Capacity Act 2005.
You can get information from Mind on other laws that are relevant to mental health. Go to:
This information is for your reference only – you should always get professional legal advice if you are concerned about your rights.