The next milestone –
ROYAL ASSENT GRANTED 18th DECEMBER 2025
The Parliamentary process is now over –
This page will no longer be updated but will be left as an archive.
On 7th November 2024, the UK Government introduced a new bill to the House of Lords in the UK Parliament.
The Mental Health Bill 2025, (as the Government’s website confusingly labels it!) will now commence its journey through the Lords and then the Commons, following a review of the Mental Health Act 1983 by Regius Professor Sir Simon Wessely in 2017/18. I’m sticking with 2024, for now
This page provides some resources relating to the Bill which I aim to keep updated as it progresses through the legislative process towards Royal Assent, quite potentially in 2025.
RESOURCES
- Legislative Resources –
- Parliament’s website page of all matters pertaining to the Bill.
- The Mental Health Bill 2024 – as it was after the Report Stage in Apr ’25.
- The Mental Health Bill 2024 – as it was after the Committee Stage in Jan ’25.
- The Mental Health Bill 2024 – as introduced to the House of Commons in Apr ’25 after passing the Lords.
- The Mental Health Bill 2024 – as it was when first introduced in Nov ’24.
- Explanatory notes from the UK Parliament.
- UK government MOU on ECHR compatibility.
- Research briefing from the UK House of Lords.
- Human Rights report of the Joint Committee on Human Rights.
- Background –
- The Wessely Review (2018)
- The White Paper (2021)
- Blogs –
- My own initial post, summarising aspects relevant to the police and the wider 999 system.
- My post with the new wording of sections 135/136, inc 136B as they will be post-assent.
- The House of Lords amendment on “authorised persons” for s135/136.
- Alex Ruck Keene’s KC‘s Mental Capacity Law and Policy website –
- Alex’s post summarising the Bill and linking to resources (inc more than I’m providing here).
- Alex has taken the trouble to annotate the entire MHA ’83 to show how it would look, if amended as introduced.
Kudos ARK taking the time to do all this work and so soon after the Bill’s publication.
- Reaction –
- Royal College of Psychiatrists
- Mind
- Rethink
- Community Care
I will update this page as the Bill progress or new updates / versions of the Bill emerge, and with any other materials which are relevant to the Bill or its parliamentary progress.
You can email me if you think something should be included on here.
.
Michael./
Winner of the President’s Medal, the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Winner of the Mind Digital Media Award
All opinions expressed are my own – they do not represent the views of any organisation.
(c) Michael Brown, 2026.
I am not a police officer.
I try to keep this blog up to date, but inevitably over time, amendments to the law as well as court rulings and other findings from inquests and complaints processes mean it is difficult to ensure all the articles and pages remain current. Please ensure you check all legal issues in particular and take appropriate professional advice where necessary.
Government legislation website – www.legislation.gov.uk
Mental Health Cop 