A patient may be detained under section 3 of the Mental Health Act 1983 (HM Government, 1983) only if his nearest relative does not object. Whether an objection has been made will be a question for the approved mental health professional (AMHP) concerned, but their answer will have to be a...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explain a decision of the Court of Appeal about the duty an Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) will sometimes have to consult a patient's nearest relative, and to set that decision in the context of an earlier one. Design/methodology/approach...

Purpose – This paper aims to consider the recent consultation on a new safeguarding power of entry and seeks to provide a critique of the government's conclusions in that regard. Design/methodology/approach – The paper analyses the report of the consultation exercise and sets it against...