Mental Treatment Act, 1961

Amendment of section 166 of Principal Act.

10.—(1) In subsection (1) of section 166 of the Principal Act “a registered medical practitioner (not being a registered medical practitioner disqualified in relation to the person believed to be of unsound mind)” is hereby substituted for “the authorised medical officer” and “a” is hereby substituted for “the” where the latter word occurs before “district mental hospital”.

(2) In subsection (2) of section 166 of the Principal Act “a registered medical practitioner (not being a registered medical practitioner disqualified in relation to the person) ” is hereby substituted for “the authorised medical officer”.

(3) In subsection (3) of section 166 of the Principal Act “registered medical practitioner to whom the application is made may (or, if he is the authorised medical officer, shall) ” is hereby substituted for “authorised medical officer shall”.

(4) In subsection (4) of section 166 of the Principal Act “a registered medical practitioner” is hereby substituted for “the authorised medical officer”.

(5) The following subsection is hereby added to section 166 of the Principal Act.

“(5) A registered medical practitioner shall, for the purposes of this section, be disqualified in relation to a person—

(a) if such practitioner is interested in the payments (if any) to be made on account of the taking care of the person,

(b) if such practitioner is the husband or wife, father, stepfather or father-in-law, mother, step-mother or mother-in-law, son, step-son or son-in-law, daughter, step-daughter or daughter-in-law, brother, step-brother or brother-in-law, sister, step-sister or sister-in-law, or guardian or trustee of the person, or

(c) if such practitioner is a medical officer of a district mental hospital.”