A second edition ...

A second edition of my book, The Nearest Relative Handbook, will be published in January.

The book is intended to be a lucid, concise guide the role of the nearest relative and the way it might fall - or be given - to an individual. It should be of use not only to nearest relatives themselves, but also to Approved Mental Health Professionals, Responsible Clinicians and other practitioners; to patients, their families and carers; and to hospital managers, police officers, lawyers, academics and policy-makers.

The Nearest Relative Handbook sets out and explains the complex criteria by which a nearest relative is to be identified and the grounds upon which he or she may be displaced by the court, and it does that not only for adults, but also for children. The book also considers the duty of consultation that some professionals owe to nearest relatives, and other, associated issues, such as Mental Health Review Tribunal rights and information-sharing.

The book has been completely re-written for its second edition, and now includes a wealth of material on the changes made by the Mental Health Act 2007, which have particularly affected the process and grounds for displacement. It also has nearly 50 per cent more practical scenarios.

Review of the first edition were very favourable. They include:

An excellent, comprehensive and thoughtful guide to the rights, powers, and duties of nearest relatives under the Mental Health Act. This is the definitive work on the subject - Phil Fennell, Professor of Law, Cardiff Law School

This intelligent and comprehensive analysis is a welcome addition to the currently scant literature in this area - Journal of Mental Health Law

The rules are comprehensively worked through and the examples clear - Tony Eaton, Solicitor, Brent Community Law Centre

There can hardly be a professional concerned with the Mental Health Act 1983 and its practical application who will not benefit from having this book to hand - New Law Journal

The second edition of The Nearest Relative Handbook will be published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers at £17.99. Further details, together with an order form, may be found here

Another book you might find useful

The Nearest Relative Handbook
The role of nearest relative is complex and often misunderstood. This handbook offers an expert legal analysis of the role, the powers it carries and the limits of those powers. When a person is subject to the Mental Health Act 1983, many of his or her principal rights are taken away. It is the function of the nearest relative to compensate for that loss. This very accessible book explains how the nearest relative is identified and what the role can involve, and it contains a wealth of case examples and illustrative scenarios. The book provides a succinct discussion of each significant case, and it incorporates all the very latest changes to the Mental Health Act and looks at areas where further changes might be made. The Nearest Relative Handbook is the first full-length reference work to tackle this subject systematically and comprehensively. It will be an invaluable aid to those who find themselves in a professional relationship with a nearest relative, to those who are or wish to be a nearest relative, and to anyone needing to make sense of the relevant statutory provisions. This book is published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. If you would like more information about the book, or if you would like to order a copy, please go here or contact me at tendency@btinternet.com

Reviews

“An excellent, comprehensive and thoughtful guide to the rights, powers, and duties of nearest relatives under the Mental Health Act. This is the definitive work on the subject.” Phil Fennell.

“Hewitt looks first at the development of the role of nearest relative, where it is now, the problems it presents and how these are likely to be resolved … The rules are comprehensively worked through and the examples clear.” Tony Eaton, International Psychogeriatrics.

“This intelligent and comprehensive analysis is a welcome addition to the currently scant literature in this area.” Robert Brown, Journal of Mental Health Law.

“There can hardly be a professional concerned with the Mental Health Act and its practical application who will not benefit from having this book to hand.” B Mahendra, New Law Journal.