Mental Health Legislation (Commonwealth Detainees) Act 2004
Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents
i
Mental Health Legislation (Commonwealth
Detainees) Act 2004
Act No. 44/2004
TABLE OF PROVISIONS
Section Page
PART 1—PRELIMINARY 1
1. Purpose 1
2. Commencement 2
PART 2—AMENDMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH ACT 1986 3
3. Definition of "forensic patient" 3
4. Statement of patient's rights 3
5. Transfer of forensic patient to another approved mental health
service 3
PART 3—AMENDMENT OF CRIMES (MENTAL IMPAIRMENT
AND UNFITNESS TO BE TRIED) ACT 1997 4
6. Definitions 4
7. Warrant to arrest federal forensic patient who leaves Victoria 4
8. Application of Division 1 of Part 7 5
9. Leave of absence 5
10. Forensic Leave Panel 5
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ENDNOTES 6
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Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents
1
Mental Health Legislation
(Commonwealth Detainees) Act 2004†
[Assented to 16 June 2004]
The Parliament of Victoria enacts as follows:
PART 1—PRELIMINARY
1. Purpose
The purpose of this Act is to amend the Mental
Health Act 1986 and the Crimes (Mental
Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act
1997 to provide for persons detained in approved
mental health services under section 20BJ(1) or
20BM of the Crimes Act 1914 of the
Victoria
No. 44 of 2004
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Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents
Part 1—Preliminary
Mental Health Legislation (Commonwealth Detainees) Act 2004
Act No. 44/2004
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Commonwealth to be treated as forensic patients
in all respects except access to extended leave.
2. Commencement
This Act comes into operation on the day after the
day on which it receives the Royal Assent.
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Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents
Part 2—Amendment of Mental Health Act 1986
Mental Health Legislation (Commonwealth Detainees) Act 2004
Act No. 44/2004
3
PART 2—AMENDMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH ACT 1986
3. Definition of "forensic patient"
In the definition of "forensic patient" in section
3(1) of the Mental Health Act 1986, after
paragraph (ac) insert—
"(ad) a person detained in an approved mental
health service under section 20BJ(1) or
20BM of the Crimes Act 1914 of the
Commonwealth; or".
4. Statement of patient's rights
In section 18(1)(b) of the Mental Health Act
1986, after "relevant" insert "including, in the
case of a patient detained under section 20BJ(1)
or 20BM of the Crimes Act 1914 of the
Commonwealth, information as to his or her legal
rights and other entitlements under that Act".
5. Transfer of forensic patient to another approved
mental health service
(1) In section 53AB(1) of the Mental Health Act
1986, for "The chief" substitute "Subject to sub-
section (1A), the chief".
(2) After section 53AB(1) of the Mental Health Act
1986 insert—
"(1A) The chief psychiatrist cannot make an order
under sub-section (1) in respect of a forensic
patient detained under section 20BJ(1) or
20BM of the Crimes Act 1914 of the
Commonwealth but may recommend to the
Attorney-General for the Commonwealth the
making of an order under section 20BJ(2) or
20BM(7) (as the case requires) of that Act
varying the approved mental health service
in which the forensic patient is detained.".
__________________
See:
Act No.
59/1986.
Reprint No. 7
as at
1 July 2002
and
amending
Act Nos
67/1998,
41/2002,
67/2003 and
76/2003.
LawToday:
www.dms.
dpc.vic.
gov.au
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Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents
Part 3—Amendment of Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be
Tried) Act 1997
Mental Health Legislation (Commonwealth Detainees) Act 2004
Act No. 44/2004
4
PART 3—AMENDMENT OF CRIMES (MENTAL
IMPAIRMENT AND UNFITNESS TO BE TRIED) ACT 1997
6. Definitions
(1) In section 3(1) of the Crimes (Mental
Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act
1997 insert the following definition—
' "federal forensic patient" means a forensic
patient referred to in paragraph (ad) of the
definition of "forensic patient" in this sub-
section;'.
(2) In the definition of "forensic patient" in
section 3(1) of the Crimes (Mental Impairment
and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997, after
paragraph (ac) insert—
"(ad) a person detained in an approved mental
health service under section 20BJ(1) or
20BM of the Crimes Act 1914 of the
Commonwealth; or".
7. Warrant to arrest federal forensic patient who
leaves Victoria
(1) After section 30B(1) of the Crimes (Mental
Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act
1997 insert—
"(1A) If at any time it appears to the Secretary to
the Department of Human Services that a
federal forensic patient—
(a) is absent without leave from an
approved mental health service; and
(b) is no longer in Victoria—
the Secretary may apply to the Supreme
Court, County Court or Magistrates' Court
for a warrant to arrest that patient.".
See:
Act No.
65/1997.
Reprint No. 2
as at
1 July 2002.
LawToday:
www.dms.
dpc.vic.
gov.au
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Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents
Part 3—Amendment of Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be
Tried) Act 1997
Mental Health Legislation (Commonwealth Detainees) Act 2004
Act No. 44/2004
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(2) In section 30B(2) of the Crimes (Mental
Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act
1997, after "(1)" insert "or (1A)".
8. Application of Division 1 of Part 7
At the end of section 48 of the Crimes (Mental
Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act
1997 insert—
"(2) The Division also applies in relation to
federal forensic patients.".
9. Leave of absence
(1) In section 49(d) of the Crimes (Mental
Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act
1997, before "extended" insert "except in the case
of a federal forensic patient,".
(2) At the end of section 56 of the Crimes (Mental
Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act
1997 insert—
"(2) Despite anything to the contrary in this or
any other Act, a federal forensic patient is
not eligible to apply for, or be granted,
extended leave.".
10. Forensic Leave Panel
In section 60(a) of the Crimes (Mental
Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act
1997, after "orders" insert "and by federal
forensic patients".
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Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents
Mental Health Legislation (Commonwealth Detainees) Act 2004
Act No. 44/2004
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ENDNOTES
† Minister's second reading speech—
Legislative Assembly: 13 May 2004
Legislative Council: 3 June 2004
The long title for the Bill for this Act was "to amend the Mental Health
Act 1986 and the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be
Tried) Act 1997 with respect to certain persons detained in approved
mental health services under Commonwealth legislation and for other
purposes."
Endnotes
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