Mental Health

It is World Mental Health Day on 10 October: an opportunity to raise awareness and campaign for change. This year we want to highlight the responsibilities of employers to create mentally healthy workplaces., writes LawCare's Elizabeth Rimmer. The traditional view of health and safety in the wo

The Scottish government’s response to the Scottish Mental Health Law Review is a positive indication of governmental commitment to much needed legislative reform, the Law Society of Scotland has said. The society stressed, however, the importance of avoiding any further delays to implementatio

LawCare has published findings on the mental health needs of men in the workplace. A focus group of barristers, partners, mid-level and junior associates, in-house lawyers as well as those in support roles, from across the jurisdictions, was used to gain an idea of the mental health experiences of m

A disabled woman who sought to become a member of the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland has been unsuccessful in a challenge to the Scottish Ministers’ public appointment policy in relation to disabled applicants. Victoria Reid challenged a policy under which her application to join the Trib

Half of practising lawyers are experiencing depression and anxiety, according to a study by the California Lawyers Association (CLA) and the D.C. Bar. The findings come from a research project into the personal and workplace risk factors for mental health problems, substance use, and attrition among

There has been a rise in self-harm amongst detained young people over the last five years, according to a new report. The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland's report analysing the detentions of young people aged 16 and 17 for mental health care and treatment in Scotland and found self-

The majority of lawyers feel their manager is not looking out for them, according to a new report. Authored by The MOSAIC Collective and based on a survey of legal professionals worldwide, the report details how they feel about their work.

A Holyrood committee has reiterated its call for "unnecessary and arbitrary powers" contained in emergency coronavirus legislation to be repealed in order to protect the rights of people with mental health conditions. Schedule 9 of the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020 provides for longer periods of e

The creation of a new, unified tribunal empowered to look at a full range of remedies under mental health law would enable individuals’ cases to be dealt with in a prompt, holistic and person-centred way. The Law Society of Scotland has called for an approach that would promote robust protecti

The Law Society of Scotland has today launched a three-year action plan that aims to tackle stigma around mental health in the legal sector. The new action plan follows a survey of Scotland’s legal profession on their views of mental health in the workplace in 2019 and accompanies the survey&r

Mental health legislation needs to be updated to take more account of children and young persons, the Faculty of Advocates has suggested. In a response to a review of mental health law in Scotland, the Faculty also drew attention to a disparity in provision for men and women who require treatment in

Legal mental health charity LawCare has released data on all COVID-19 related contacts it has received to date for Mental Health Awareness Week. Forty-eight legal professionals have contacted the charity with issues related to COVID-19 since 10 March, making up over a third (37 per cent) of all cont

More than 6,000 people were detained in Scotland under the Mental Health Act 2003 last year, the highest figure since the legislation came into force. The data, published in a new report from the Mental Welfare Commission, also shows rising figures for young people aged under 25 being given com

The Scottish Legal Action Group (SCOLAG) is hosting a free event on 22 November which aims to develop mental health awareness among lawyers. The session aims to develop an awareness of mental health problems, including causes, symptoms, and support options. It will focus on practical knowledge and s

Ampersand’s Lauren Sutherland QC was one of the speakers at the XXXVIth International Congress on Law and Mental Health Conference in Rome this week. The conference was held at the University of Rome and delegates attended from all around the world.