Imagine a situation – but before you do, grab a cuppa or a soft drink because this one goes on a while! The officer raising the question raised a lot of issues and counterpoints in addition to posing me an exam-question to answer. Someone is arrested for an alleged offence, they are assessed in custody […]

Read More Section 136 after MHA Assessment

How would you know if section 136 is over-used in an area? The alleged overuse of this power has been a near-constant refrain in the background of the work I’ve done over twenty years. Regularly brought up, various reasons given for the alleged over-use: it is one of those ‘zombie’ arguments, that never dies – […]

Read More Is Section 136 Overused?

The United Kingdom and New Zealand are worth contrasting when it comes to policing and mental health. To the extent I’ve tried to find out, they are the only two countries who restrict their police service to legally intervening in a mental health crisis to public places. Section 136 Mental Health Act 1983 (England / […]

Read More New Zealand