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Your rights to legal representation and to see the tribunal doctor

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
Published date21 March 2018
Subject MatterMental Health Tribunal forms and guidance
Page 1
T129
You will be having a Mental Health tribunal soon. If you didn’t apply for it, it has been
arranged because the law requires that your case be reviewed by a tribunal.
What is a tribunal?
A tribunal decides whether you should remain on your Section of the Mental Health Act.
The tribunal is a panel that is made up of three people – a judge (who is chairman of the
hearing), a tribunal doctor who is a psychiatrist, and a third member who knows about
mental health care. None of them have any connection with the clinical or social work
team looking after you. Together the panel will decide whether your Section should be
lifted after reading the reports about you, and hearing from you and your clinical team.
Can I have a legal representative?
Yes. Most people do have a legal representative because they can help you to tell the
tribunal how you feel and what you want to happen. This does not cost you anything as
your representative will be paid for by Legal Aid.
What if I haven’t got a legal representative?
If you haven’t got a legal representative, the tribunal off‌ice can appoint one for you who
understands about mental health tribunals.
There’s a form at the end of this leaf‌let which you can use to ask the tribunal off‌ice to f‌ind
a legal representative for you.
Who is the tribunal doctor?
The tribunal doctor is a Consultant Psychiatrist, and is one of the three people who are on
the tribunal panel.
Your rights to legal representation and to
see the tribunal doctor
T129 Your rights to legal representation and to see the tribunal doctor (03.19) © Crown copyright 2019

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