VICTORIAN

In Australia, laws relating to mental health vary from state to state. About half the people in an institution have been committed involuntarily (certified or recommended).
Police surgeons certifty about 1000 people in Victoria year, about a 1000 more are committed by psychiatrists and GPS (surprisingly, the latter group with minimal psychiatric training have this power.)

It is generally presumed that one has to hearing voices etc. to be certified etc. In practice the decison may be more arbitrary and some people are certified who never should have been, even from a psychiatric viewpoint. These people may have great trouble asserting their rights.

To become mentally ill a person needs only to be called mentally ill and after drugging is made physically ill as well. See the links to psychiatric drugs on the main page.

Once certified, a person's rights are covered by the 1984 (ratified in 1987) Victorian Mental Health Act. Institutions are required to display a noticeboard containing patient's rights and to give each patient a statement of their rights.

If you have a relative or friend in or has been in an instution and possibly has had their rights abused you could try the following:

Public advocates office. 9660-1444

Community visitors are volunteers acting independently of the psychiatric system who investigate abuse of patients' rights. Contact the Public Advocates office for more information.

Mental Health Legal Centre. 306 Johnston St. Abbotsford 9417-4599

Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR). 42 Russell St, Melbourne 9654-8970