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Ministry of Justice

(Redirected from Home Office)

The London-based Mental Health Casework Section of the MOJ is responsible for carrying out the Justice Secretary's functions under Part 3 of the Mental Health Act 1983 and related legislation. It is only concerned with restricted patients. Decisions are made by civil servants (caseworkers and their supervisors). In general they make their decisions having considered written reports received from the treating team and/or recommendations from the Mental Health Tribunal, and very occasionally a caseworker might attend a hospital meeting.

See also

Name changes

The Department of Constitutional Affairs was, in May 2007, renamed the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry of Justice took over, amongst other things, the Home Office's Mental Health Unit.

In November 2009 the Mental Health Unit became the Mental Health Casework Section; along with the Public Protection Casework Section and other sections, it became part of the Public Protection and Mental Health Group, which later became the Safer Custody and Public Protection Group. In 2017/18 it is called the HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) Mental Health Casework Section.

Role in restricted cases

The following actions require the Secretary of State's consent:

  • Leave of absence under s17. Note that permission is not required for hospital ground leave unless a specific hospital unit/ward has been specified in the hospital order (or equivalent) which led to the admission: see Power to specify hospital units for details.
  • Transfer to another hospital under s19.
  • Discharge from section under s23 (although the MHT are empowered to discharge without consent).

The following are some of the Secretary of State's powers:

  • To remove the restrictions (s42(1)), leaving the patient as if he had been made an unrestricted patient on the date the restrictions ceased (s41(5)).
  • To grant either a conditional discharge or an absolute discharge (s42(2)).
  • To recall a conditionally discharged patient to hospital so that he becomes a restricted patient once again (s42(3)).
  • To transfer a serving prisoner from prison to a hospital (s47), with or without restrictions (s49), and to transfer him back to prison when appropriate.

Other MoJ responsibilities

The Ministry of Justice sponsors the following:

External links

Main page on their website

Contact list

MOJ/MHT Protocol

  • Restricted case guidance. HMCTS and MOJ, 'Guidance for the conduct of cases before the restricted patient panel' (29/3/16) — This document sets out the responsibilities of the MoJ and MHT in the Tribunal procedure. For instance, the protocol provides that no MoJ comments are required in the following circumstances: (1) for initial reports, the MoJ have had the reports for 21 days; (2) for subsequent reports, including addendum and independent reports, the MoJ have received the reports at all.

Leave of absence

Conditions of discharge

See Conditional discharge resources.

Personality disorder

MCA 2005

Other

  • MHCS Newsletter 29/4/10 - deals with absolute discharge and the transfer to hospital of prisoners who are close to the end of their sentence

INFORMATION



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