COMMITTAL PROCEDURE

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 25, 30 January 1929, Page 12

COMMITTAL PROCEDURE

NEW SYSTEM CONDEMNED

LAW NEEDS REVISION

(By Telegraph.)

(Special to "Tlie Evenino Post.")

AUCKLAND, This Day.

Further safeguards against improper committal of persons to mental hospitals wero asked for by tho sectional meeting of the Science Congress to-day. Tho following resolution was unanimously adopted: "That in view of recent cases, adequate safeguards against improper committal of persons to mental hospitals should bo provided by means of revision of tho existing law and practice." The resolution will be forwarded to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Health.

Discussion on the Mental Defectives A.cfc was opened by Dr. I. L. G. Sutherland, lecturer on philosophy at Victoria College, who said he thought that undesirable features had been pretty well taken out of, the Bill. Regarding tho committal of persons to asylums, it was strongly felt that the present position was not satisfactory and further safeguards were necessary. He quoted a letter from Wellington newspapers strongly protesting against the circumstances of the committal to Porirua of a woman well known to tho writor. The writer specially complained that the request for committal had to be made by only one person, that the examining doctor was chosen by that person, and that no examination was made of the patient's past history. Ho expressed a doubt whether her friend would recover from the shock of finding herself in an asylum. Dr. Sutherland said' that as the result of the publicity given to the case, the woman had been discharged, and he was glad to'be able to report that through having a keen sense of humour, she had apparently suffered no injury from her detention. Another case that had caused much public comment was that of a woman who had been temporarily confined at Porirua, and released to discover that during her absence her child had died without her knowledge. Tho meaning of the present legislation which came into effect at the beginning of this year, was explained by Dr. W. Anderson, who said the position was going to bo worse than it had been under the old legislation. Uiidpr the guise' of getting away from the unpleasant association of the Police Court the position had now been altered so that it -was possible for persons to be committed to the asylum without having been before a Magistrate at all. It seemed to him there was a strong case for defining clearly what persons were entitled to initiate proceedings for committal of others. That privilege should not be available to the public at large. The Act had been far too sweeping in wiping out tho reference to a Magistrate. A Magistrate did not now appoint one of the examining medical practitioners, as had been dono in the past. The qualifications of medical practitioners called on to examino patients was raised by a delegate, who said that the ordinary medical practitioner was not competent to decide on such' cases. Ho considered that the new Act was superior in providing for a period of observational treatment, which was very valuable, but the initial committal was too easy. This could bo reinodied by a system of double certification. > Tho case of a man who became vioJent after an epileptic fit was described by another delegate. Tho man was about to bo sent to an asylum when half-a-dozen of. his friends undertook to tako chargo of him. In three.days he was normal again, and was now in an important position, earning £1200 a year. Had his friends not intervened lit that moment the man would undoubtedly have been a permanent patient •i an asylum.