ABSTRACT
At a time when law reform is under consideration, it would seem appropriate to consider mental health law within an international context. It is perhaps surprising that there is so little discussion on this issue in British publications. Other countries can be a source of new ideas as well as being places where lessons may have been learned about ideas that are under consideration, e.g. community treatment orders. Of particular surprise is the lack of attention paid to our closest neighbours in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland. In each of these countries, the law is significantly different from that in England and Wales. This chapter will give a brief description of each of these and will also consider the position in Singapore, the USA and Australia.
