NEW BILLS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 918, 10 September 1910, Page 10

NEW BILLS.

: f 'MENTAL; DEFECTIVES.- :--,.'. i POSITION OP VOLUNTARY , ■£; J. BOARDERS. ;' . :.-:, 'Afcomprohensivq Bill of'-'47 pages to ;j- -.-tohsolidate', and- amend the law relating ,- to the care and control: of mentally de- .' fecti'vo persons , has been; introduced in ! theiHouso ,of Representatives. "Mentally, defective persons" means .:.'.'•• -i "persons of unsound mind,".;, "persons :.; . -mentally' iiifirni,"''"idiots," "imbeciles,"' :;vV;: "feeble-minded," /and .."epileptics.": --, I:.;.':. It'is interesting to.-iote thslt the pre-, •.sent'law is, ''confined',_to .persons.,of -un^ "".. sound mind and .'idiot's. * The other defi-' :'",•■-'.•' iitions avo new to our law. One new fea- :■;', 'turo-is.that in. cases of emergency a per- :-;-.':-> eon'! may": be; placed.- under' Vcaro': tempos' ; ; Varily on~the certificate' of. one medical .-.'. .mmi,' but if he. docs, not recover; within 1 . ■' .a.limited timo a certificate of twomedi-' V-' '-'cal.'inen - must bo obtained.: in the ordin- ; ;V- :..aryxway.: '.To 'prevent' tlie overlooking by ' anyv chance of the cure'of a. patient and '. liis-heingVdetained' longer, than necessary- ■'■'-■:■ at. the end of/each year -it'is. provided .'.'■-. : i that-the detention order, Bhall: automntic- '■-' ally-lapse unless tlie': case is considered isf ■ by She medical.'bfticer of' the institution ;':■'. ■' "■ and- he certifies-: that the case, is.one. for. y •': : further detention in tho interest'. of'' the :- : ' : :':: patient or of the public interest. :.;." .-:■"- Part ; .3>deals'."with.:-; mentally .defective "■■>" ■•'■'■ persons under detention for "oftences, etc., ■.■■■■'■ and' is practically tho present law in. a ■ : v-. somewhat better:form;' Part ; , 4, : relating ":'■ to procedure in : the-; case'-' of., minors, .provides for the reception.: into institutions. S; :'':■: of. such; persons' .uudei-' ,21 years, of, age -■'■-':■'.■-, on the application, of a -parent-or-guard--, '«;■'■ :'.' ian'-.on - the. -certificate -of "one..: medical ■'■':': man.' When/any, such.'person' attains the '■■■ .--.' C-: age ■of ,21 years: he shall ■ be : '■'':■:'.: unles;j. in the opinion- of tie 'medical '■■'■.. ,' officer,: his -further detention'.is'.desirable; :.;..' or he; may' bo discharged before, that "ago ■ ''... at.the. request of-. : the',-.parent .or. guardian - : :::'-unless the-medical .officer certifies' that '::' f.;■ he - }S ■ not fit to -leave- tho-:institution. ,'■-." : '. .'lit-Part 5" of; the .Bill, - regarding, yoluri- •:''■' Vtary.;boarders, :there is:,a ! very important -: ',\: provisioii,-,. , the..idea;,bcing' that if ..a per- •"., son" feola 4 he is - going wrong -in' bis. head ;v ,;lhe.?can go to..a State, institution,"and, ■;■'■'.'/■'■ bn-vihis own' request, receive -'treatment. ■). - Part'- 6 deals -with; v public and" licensed- ?).;:;.-. 'institution's: ,n'htl."-Part J! -: with', tho; caro :;: : .;.;:'-.,and,' treatment.!'of :mehtally-defeetive ;per-, :. : S;'.''gons,:but;contain'no innovations "of special, ;: : ; : :.- :: imp'ortance.';:;^';- ; / '"'-':. ■•'-'.'■. : '" ; .V:-^: : :■■'.. .' ;

' There is,; an important -/-departure in" Part B,^'simplifying., the whole ;procedure,; in itcgard' to the administration- of; the estates.;of-,mentally-defective,-persons in. the;,interests .of .tho;patient.- tTho -Public .Trustee :is; to be; ..the,.administrator;:, ex,cept; where," in special>cases, the, Supreme -Court, may;appoint'-.some othei iadminis-: ..traf or, should the 'circumstances' warrant ; it.i's'Part;? deals.b^iefly,'with;tho,.questi6n , ofjearly treatment; without ah, order.-'" It h ;?«.'.-, new -development.-in- onr system, ;and provides for"casesV-iri 'which a certificate :has - been-:.gi-eii, that; a is "mentally, .defective,;;ithough tlie • malady is 'Apt confirmed,. ...The patient-may/ be placed under private:: care : and/treatment, .the, Minister „ undertaking not : to, prosecute the nor'sbh -detaining ' him.: for audh;;detention; .;;" -j";.; ; - :;'...y-"V.., /.-. :'■' The 1 .Bill;.fiirthcr^provides,"under, tlie heading,of offences,- that' any 'unauthorised person keeping a "mentally : defective f pertoif under:. control. for, nioro:' than' three .months, -without giving notice to the Department, '-shallvbe,liable '.to' "a"- ..penalty, thf.i.object- of the ,-■ provision being to; en-;*blr.thc,:Department-to rh'ave, the over-, fight: ofv all ..mentallydefective 'persons. ; '•'