Mental Health Act, 2001

Admission order.

14.—(1) Where a recommendation in relation to a person the subject of an application is received by the clinical director of an approved centre, a consultant psychiatrist on the staff of the approved centre shall, as soon as may be, carry out an examination of the person and shall thereupon either—

(a) if he or she is satisfied that the person is suffering from a mental disorder, make an order to be known as an involuntary admission order and referred to in this Act as “an admission order” in a form specified by the Commission for the reception, detention and treatment of the person and a person to whom an admission order relates is referred to in this Act as “a patient”, or

(b) if he or she is not so satisfied, refuse to make such order.

(2) A consultant psychiatrist, a medical practitioner or a registered nurse on the staff of the approved centre shall be entitled to take charge of the person concerned and detain him or her for a period not exceeding 24 hours (or such shorter period as may be prescribed after consultation with the Commission) for the purpose of carrying out an examination under subsection (1) or, if an admission order is made or refused in relation to the person during that period, until it is granted or refused.

(3) A consultant psychiatrist shall, for the purposes of this section, be disqualified for making an admission order in relation to a person the subject of an application—

(a) if he or she is a spouse or a relative of the person, or

(b) if he or she is the applicant.