Mental Health Act 2007 in force dates

See Mental Health Act 2007 Overview for further details of amendments made to the Mental Health Act 1983. [This page hasn't been updated since 2010.]

MHA 2007 sections which are not in force and MHA 1983 sections not yet amended

Change	MHA 2007 section which is not fully in force	Subsection	MHA 1983 (and other) sections yet to be amended
Organisation of Mental Health Review Tribunal changed 3/11/08 (partially)	s38 (Mental Health Review Tribunal - Organisation)	s38(3)(a)-(d)	s78
		s38(4)	s79
		s38(6), (7)(a), (8), (9)	sch 2 paras 3, 4, 5, 6

In-force status of Mental Health Act 2007

Consult the individual commencement orders for details: see Mental Health Act 2007 Overview. This table includes the effects of Commencement Orders 1 to 8. The effects of commencement orders 9 to 11 need to be added.

MHA 2007 section	When in force, and by which commencement order
1	partly 3/11/08 no 6; rem 3/11/08 no 7
2-16	3/11/08 no 7
17	1/4/08 no 4
18	power 1/4/08 no 4; partly 1/4/08 no 4; rem (England) 3/11/08 no 7; rem (Wales) 3/11/08 no 8
19-20	1/10/07 no 3
21	England 3/11/08 no 7; Wales 3/11/08 no 8
22	partly 1/4/08 no 4; rem 3/11/08 no 7
23-25	3/11/08 no 7 [s25(5) 1/4/08 no 4]
26	1/12/07 no 3
27-29	3/11/08 no 7
30	power 1/4/08 no 4; partly 1/4/08 no 4; rem (Wales) 3/11/08 no 8; rem (England) NIF
31	partly 3/11/08 no 7; rem NIF
32	power, partly 1/4/08 no 4; partly 3/11/08 no 6; rem 3/11/08 no 7
33-34	3/11/08 no 7
35	power 1/4/08 no 4; partly 1/4/08 no 4; rem 3/11/08 no 7
36	3/11/08 no 6
37	3/11/08 no 7
38	partly 3/11/08 no 7; rem NIF
39	partly 1/10/07 no 3; partly 1/4/08 no 4; partly 3/11/08 no 7; rem 28/10/08 no 9
40-42	1/10/07 no 3
43	1/1/08 no 3
44	30/4/08 no 5
45	24/7/07 no 1
46	1/10/07 no 3
47	1/4/08 no 4
48	3/11/08 no 7
49	1/10/07 no 3
50	partly 1/4/08 no 4; rem NIF
51	1/10/07 no 2
52-53	19/7/07 Act
54	1/4/08 no 4
55	partly 3/11/08 no 6; partly 3/11/08 no 7; rem NIF
56-59	19/7/07 Act
sch 1	partly 3/11/08 no 6; rem 3/11/08 no 7
sch 2	3/11/08 no 7 (Eng); 3/11/08 no 8 (Wales)
sch 3	partly, power 1/4/08 no 4; partly 3/11/08 no 6; rem 3/11/08 no 7
sch 4	3/11/08 no 7
sch 5	partly 1/10/07 no 3; partly 1/4/08 no 4; partly 3/11/08 no 7; rem 28/10/08 no 9
sch 6	3/11/08 no 7
sch 7	part 1/4/08 no 4; rem NIF
sch 8	NIF
sch 9	partly 1/4/08 no 4; rem NIF
sch 10	19/7/07 Act
11	partly 3/11/08 no 6; partly 3/11/08 no 7; partly (pt 7) 28/10/08 no 9; rem NIF

INFORMATION

• Representation
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• Civil sections and CTOs
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  • Section 7: guardianship
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• Criminal detaining sections
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  • Sections 47, 48 and 49: transferred prisoners
  • Notional s37
  • Section 45A: hospital direction
  • Section 38: interim hospital order
  • Section 135: Warrant to search for and remove patients
  • Section 136: Mentally disordered persons found in public places
  • Section 35: Remand to hospital for report on accused’s mental condition
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• Changes made by MHA 2007
  • 16- or 17-year-old with capacity cannot be detained on basis of parental consent
  • Abnormally aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct is only a consideration for learning disability (not personality disorder)
  • Additional safeguards for ECT introduced in new s58A
  • Appropriate treatment test replaces treatability test and applies to all patients under long-term detention
  • Approved Mental Health Professional replaces Approved Social Worker
  • Automatic reference scheme under s68 changed
  • Bournewood gap bridged by Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards inserted into MCA 2005
  • Civil partners are treated as if married when determining nearest relative
  • Conditionally-discharged hospital direction patients can be absolutely discharged by MHRT
  • Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act 2004 applies to unrestricted criminal patients
  • Fundamental principles set out in Act and included in Code of Practice
  • Higher penalties for offences under Act
  • Hospital direction patients can no longer apply to Tribunal during first six months
  • Hospital directions under s45A apply to any mental disorder
  • Legal status of Code of Practice set out in Act
  • Limitation to the exceptions to the duty to instruct IMCA
  • Mental disorder no longer split into separate classifications
  • Minor drafting error in MCA 2005 corrected
  • New cross-border arrangements for leave and transfer
  • New definition of medical treatment
  • New Independent Mental Health Advocate scheme
  • New procedure for renewal of detention
  • New regulations on conflicts of interest
  • New requirements for age-appropriate accommodation for children
  • NHS Foundation Trusts discharge power problem remedied
  • Organisation of Mental Health Review Tribunal changed
  • Patient can apply to displace nearest relative, who can now be displaced on grounds of unsuitability
  • Patients can be transferred between places of safety under s135 and s136
  • Procedure for making of instruments by Welsh Ministers set out
  • Reference to Local Health Boards inserted into Act
  • Responsible Clinician/Approved Clinician replaces Responsible Medical Officer
  • Restriction orders can no longer be time-limited
  • SOAD certificate becomes invalid when patient loses or gains capacity
  • Some exclusions to definition of mental disorder have been removed
  • Supervised Community Treatment replaces Supervised Discharge
  • Transitional provisions until full implementation of MHA 2007
  • Treatment while under SCT is covered by new Part 4A
• Coronavirus
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What links here:

• Mental Health Act 2007