Mental Treatment Act, 1961

Amendment of section 203 of Principal Act.

22.—(1) In subsection (1) of section 203 of the Principal Act “The resident medical superintendent of a district mental hospital may permit a person detained in such hospital or any other institution maintained by the mental hospital authority” is hereby substituted for “A mental hospital authority, acting on the advice of the resident medical superintendent of their district mental hospital, may permit a person detained in such hospital or any other institution maintained by them”.

(2) In subsection (2) of section 203 of the Principal Act “person in charge of a mental institution, not being an institution maintained by a mental hospital authority, may permit a person detained in such institution” is hereby substituted for “Inspector of Mental Hospitals may permit a person detained in a mental institution, not being an institution maintained by a mental hospital authority,”.

(3) The following subsection is hereby added to section 203 of the Principal Act:

“(5) Where a person is absent on trial under this section from an institution, his permission to be absent may be withdrawn, at any time before the expiration of the period or extended period during which he is permitted to be absent, by the person in charge of the institution, and if the permission is so withdrawn, the person absent on trial may at any time within twenty-eight days after the withdrawal be retaken in like manner as if he had escaped from such institution.”