Rethinking Mental Health Laws: An Integrated Approach

In May 2009, eighteen mental health law academics attended a workshop in the Monash University Prato Centre, Italy.

The theme of the workshop was Rethinking Rights-Based Mental Health Laws, and addressed one or more of the following questions:

• What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of rights-based legalism governing the mental health system?
  
• Do you think there are any alternatives to rights-based legalism and the advantages/disadvantages of these alternatives?
  
• In the rights-based legalism model, what should be the scope of mental health laws?
  
• In what manner should an international human rights framework guide mental health laws?

The papers from the workshop have been published in a scholarly book entitled Rethinking Rights-Based Mental Health Laws, edited by Professor Bernadette McSherry and Dr Penny Weller.

This book is available through Hart Publishing, Oxford via  http://www.hart.oxi.net/books/details.asp?isbn=9781849460835