The appellant was schizophrenic and was arrested for attacking pedestrians on the street with a knife. Prior to the incident he had been hearing voices. The appellant was charged with aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, and possession of a weapon for purposes dangerous to the public peace. He was found not criminally responsible (“NCR”) …Read more

Michael Aerts, complained his continued detention in the psychiatric wing of a prison pending his transfer to the Social Protection Centre breached the right to liberty and security of person in article 5(1) of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), the right to fair hearing under article 6(1) of the ECHR, and the prohibition …Read more

The applicants are Mrs. Mulkiye Osman and her son Ahmet Osman. Mr. Ali Osman, the husband and father of the applicants, respectively, was shot dead by Mr. Paul Paget-Lewis on 7 March 1988. Mr. Paget-Lewis was a former instructor of Ahmet Osman and had developed a strong attachment to him. Ahmet Osman was also wounded …Read more

L, who was profoundly mentally retarded and incapable of consenting to medical treatment, was admitted informally for in-patient treatment by an National Health Service Trust as he appeared fully compliant and did not resist admission. As a consequence the Trust avoided invoking the Mental Health Act regime. L applied, by his next friend, for judicial …Read more

Applicant, a Swedish national who lived with her youngest son was unable to work as a result of dental problems which caused her severe pain, and anxiety about a dispute with her landlord. She contacted a psychiatric clinic in order to receive a medical certificate which would enable her to claim sickness benefit from the …Read more

This case involved a challenge to a decision of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Mental Health Tribunal. The ACT Supreme Court set aside an order to detain and administer psychiatric treatment to Geraldine Patricia Burnett, a 38 year old woman who suffered from a mild psychotic disorder. Burnett had at various times been taken into …Read more

Applicant was a British national suffering from mental illness whilst on prison remand in 1984. He had served sentences for various physical assault convictions. The court imposed a hospital order on the applicant and subjected him to a heightened restriction order for the protection of the public from serious harm under the 1983 Mental Health …Read more

Williams (W) was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in December 1988. His appeal was dismissed in December 1990 and a senior lawyer advised him that an application to the judicial committee of the privy council for special leave to appeal would have no prospect of success. An appeal against the classification of his …Read more

Respondent, Redmond, received counseling from a licensed clinical social worker after a “traumatic incident” in which she shot and killed a man while on duty as a police officer. Petitioner, Allen, the administrator of the estate of the deceased, filed an action in the Federal District Court seeking damages and alleging that Respondent had violated …Read more

Johansen (J) gave birth to a son, C, in 1977 when she was seventeen years old and they became dependent on social assistance. From 1980 onwards she cohabited with a man who was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for drug offences in 1983 and who mistreated her and C. The welfare authorities assisted J on …Read more