Conference Announcement

“Mental Health Law Reform: New Perspectives & Challenges”

The Centre for Disability, Law and Policy at the School of Law NUI Galway & Amnesty International Ireland will host a 1-day International Mental Health Conference on 23 June 2012

Venue: North Campus, NUI Galway

Time: 9:30 am – 4:30 pm

Speakers will Include

• Professor Bernadette McSherry, Director, Centre for the Advancement of Law and Mental Health, Monash University, Australia
• Professor Phil Fennell, Cardiff Law School, Cardiff University, Wales
• Professor Amita Dhanda, Nalsar University of Law, Hyderabad, India
• Dr. Mary Donnelly, Senior Lecturer in Law, University College Cork, Ireland
• Ms. Roisin Webb BL, Children and Youth Policy Officer, Mental Health, Amnesty International Ireland
• Expert Panel on Mental Health in Ireland

The conference is aimed at service users, legal practitioners, mental health professionals, advocates, academics, policy makers, politicians, NGOs and any person or organisation interested in mental health law and policy. The Department of Health is currently undertaking a review of the Mental Health Act 2001. This conference will examine issues relevant to this review, including Ireland’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) as it moves towards ratification. The conference will hear from leading national and international experts on mental health law and policy. The conference will also hear from an expert panel on mental health in Ireland, which will be composed of a service user, psychiatrist, family member and legal practitioner.

For further information please contact: Elaine Keane at info.cdlp@nuigalway.ie or on 091-494270

To register please click on this link

THE DUBLIN SOLICITORS BAR ASSOCIATION AND THE IRISH MENTAL HEALTH LAWYERS ASSOCIATION CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR

Mental Health Law- The Need for Change

Friday 8th OCTOBER 2010 – 9am-4pm
The Law Society
Blackhall Place
Dublin 7
6 CPD points
Lunch and refreshments included
€110 for members of the DSBA or IMHLA
€150 (for non members)

AGENDA
9.00am Registration - Tea/Coffee
9.30am Opening Address; Darius Whelan,
President Irish Mental Health Lawyers Association, Faculty of Law U.C.C.

9.40am Hugh Kane: “Vision for Change - Implementation “.C.E.O. Mental Health Commission

10.15am Keith Walsh, “Circuit Court Appeals and other reviews of Mental Health Tribunal decisions Solicitor/Member of MHC Legal Rep Panel/Chair of DSBA – Mental Health and Capacity Law Committee
10.45am Tea/coffee
11.00am Dr. Ian Bowes: “Comparative assessment of Mental Health legislation in Northern Ireland/Southern Ireland”.Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist
11.30am Dr. Mary Keyes: “Children and the Mental Health Act 2001”. University College Galway – B.Soc.Sc., Dip.PSW, LLB, Phd:

12.00pm Judge Anselm Eldergill: “Moving from the 2001 Act – Lessons from the U.K. “President U.K. Mental Health Lawyers Association,
President, Institute of Mental Health Act Practitioners, Visiting Professor of Mental Health Law, Northumbria University, Tribunal Judge, Legal Director of the African Regional Council on Mental Health

12.30pm Question and Answer Session
12.45pm Light Lunch (Soup/Sandwiches)

2.00pm John Costello, Vice President Law Society of Ireland
2.15pm Colm O’Gorman: “Moving on from the Mental Health Act 2001 – A human rights perspective. Executive Director, Amnesty International

2.45pm Ciaran Craven B.L:“The Practical question of voluntariness: fact or fiction; the gap that doesn’t exist.” MB., B.Ch., BAO., B.Sc.
3.15pm John Redican: “Does the pace of change need a change of pace”. National Executive Officer NSUE.
3.45pm Question and Answer Session.

Conference Information

Date: 08 OCTOBER 2010
Time: 9.00am – 4.00 pm
Location: The Law Society Blackhall Place,
Fees: € 110.00 DSBA & IMHLA Members. € 150.00 Non Members
Registration: 9.00pm
9.30pm Opening Address
Lunch and refreshments will be provided
CPD: 6 hours Group Study

Seminar and Launch of Irish Mental Health Lawyers Association website www.imhla.ie

Irish Mental Health Lawyers Association
Thursday 27th May 2010
Seminar and Launch of Irish Mental Health Lawyers Association website www.imhla.ie

Special Guest - Miriam O’Callaghan
also Presentations by:
Darius Whelan B.C.L., LL.M. (N.U.I.), Ph.D. (Dub.), Barrister-at-Law
“Reforming Mental Health and Mental Capacity Law”

Ciaran Craven B.L., MB, B.Ch, BAO, B.Sc.
“The Mental Health Act 2001”

Lianne Murphy LLM (NUIG), Project Officer with the Public Interest Law Alliance (PILA)
“Opportunities for Public Interest Law in Ireland”

Thursday 27th May 2010
Distillery Building,145-151, Church St., Dublin 7.
6.00pm

Anyone wishing to attend should complete the registration form
which can be downloaded by clicking on this link and return it to:
Joan Doran Solicitor, 26, Upper Pembroke Street, Dublin 2.
Fax: 01 637 3933 / Email: joan@joandoran.com

Seminar Fee:
Members – €30

Non-Members - €60.00

I.M.H.L.A Launches New Logo

Mental Health Lawyers Association Conference

The Faculty of Law, University College Cork, and the Mental Health Lawyers Association

are jointly organising a conference on Mental Health Law which will take place in Brookfield Health Sciences Complex, UCC, Cork on Friday 26 February from 10 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.

The conference will be followed at 4.30 p.m. by the launch of a new book on Mental Health Law and Practice by Dr Darius Whelan. Dr Mary Henry, former independent Senator, will speak at the launch.

Speakers at the conference include:

Dr Mary Donnelly, Faculty of Law, UCC
Mr Mark Felton, Solicitor, Chairperson, Mental Health Lawyers Association
Ms Mary Forde, Legal Officer, Amnesty International
Ms Áine Hynes, Solicitor, Vice Chairperson, Mental Health Lawyers Association
Mr Hugh Kane, CEO, Mental Health Commission
Mr Michael Lynn, Barrister at Law
Ms Patricia Rickard-Clarke, Law Reform Commission
Mr Diarmaid Ring, Mental Health Service User and Activist
Dr Darius Whelan, Faculty of Law, UCC

If you wish to attend the book launch, please email lawevents@ucc.ie.

RSVP: 19 February 2010.

For full details and a booking form for the conference, see