The 1983 Mental Health Act in England and Wales introduced far-reaching changes in the control of mentally disordered people and this series of essays describes various features of that Act. The book is divided into three main sections, which discuss the admission of mentally ill patients, their control in hospital and community and their rights. The concluding essay points out that the act is a piece of reforming legislation and not a radical one, but it is also innovative. Although the discussion is based on the provisions of the 1983 Mental Health Act in England and Wales, the topics covered are of international importance and the interest in the book will be correspondingly wide.
