Mental Health Regulations 2004 (NI)

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Legislation au C2015Q00310 In force Continued Law

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NORFOLK  ISLAND

 

MENTAL HEALTH REGULATIONS 2004

 

 [Consolidated as at 26 February 2013

 on the authority of the Administrator

 and in accordance with

 the Enactments Reprinting Act 1980]

________

TABLE OF PROVISIONS

Section

PART 1      PRELIMINARY

 1. Name of Regulations

 2. Commencement

 3. Definitions

PART 2      INTERSTATE APPLICATION OF MENTAL HEALTH LAWS

 4. Corresponding laws

 5. Interstate custodial patients

 6. Corresponding people for interstate custodial patients

 7. Recognition of interstate apprehension orders

 8. People authorised to apprehend under interstate apprehension orders

 9. Place to which people can be taken in Norfolk Island under interstate apprehension orders

 10. Place to which people can be taken in Queensland under section 42E

 11. Application of Act to persons transferred from Norfolk Island

 

 

 

NORFOLK  ISLAND

 

Mental Health Regulations 2004

____________________________________________________________

Part 1      Preliminary

Name of Regulations

 1. These Regulations may be cited as the Mental Health Regulations 2004.

Commencement

 2. These Regulations shall commence operation on the day on which notification of their being made is published in the Gazette.

Definitions

 3. In these Regulations 

“interstate agreement” means agreements about the interstate application of mental health laws made under section 42A of the Act;

“interstate apprehension order” means an interstate apprehension order under an interstate agreement;

“NSW Act” means the Mental Health Act 1990 (NSW); 

“Queensland Act” means the Mental Health Act 2000 (Qld);

“the Act” means the Mental Health Act 1996;

“Victorian Act” means the Mental Health Act 1986 (Vic).

Part 2  —   Interstate application of mental health laws

Corresponding laws

 4. The following are corresponding laws for section 42D of the Act 

(a) the Mental Health Act 1990 (NSW);

(b) the Mental Health Act 1986 (Vic);

(c)                the Mental Health Act 2000 (Qld).   

 

Interstate custodial patients

 5. The following are interstate custodial patients for section 42G of the Act 

(a) a person who is a classified patient or a forensic patient under the Queensland Act;

(b) a person subject to an order under the Queensland Act, section 101 (Court may order person’s detention in authorised mental health service);

(c) a person subject to the Queensland Act, section 185 (Apprehension of involuntary patients interstate);

(d) a person subject to an order under the Queensland Act, section 273(1)(b) (Orders about custody);

(e) a person subject to an order under the Queensland Act, section 288 (Mental Health Court may make forensic order);

(f) a person subject to an order under the Queensland Act, section 302 (Commonwealth Minister may make forensic order for persons subject to custody order);

(g) a person subject to an order for detention in a stated authorised mental health service under the Queensland Act, section 337(6) (Appeal powers).

(h) a person apprehended or detained under the NSW Act, chapter 4, Part 2 (Involuntary admission to hospitals), Division 1 (Admission to and detention in hospitals);

(i) a person who is a continued treatment patient as defined in the NSW Act, schedule 1 (Dictionary of terms used in the Act);

(j)                 a person who is a temporary patient as defined in the NSW Act, Schedule 1;

(k) a person subject to a hospital order or restricted hospital order under the Victorian Act, section 16 (Transfer of mentally ill prisoners);

(l) a person who is the subject of a warrant issued under the Victorian Act, section 53AA (Warrant to arrest security patient absent without leave who leaves Victoria);

(m) a person apprehended under the Victorian Act, section 53AD (Apprehension of forensic patient absent without leave).

 

 

Corresponding people for interstate custodial patients

 6. For section 42G of the Act —

(a) an interstate custodial patient mentioned in regulation 5(h) corresponds to a person being detained under section 22 of the Act, with the detention having commenced at the time the person arrives at the place mentioned in regulation  9; and

(b) an interstate custodial patient mentioned in another paragraph of regulation 6 corresponds to a person subject to a custody order under the Act, section 30(2), 30A, 37F or 37H, as the case requires, that was made at the time specified in the interstate apprehension or transfer order.

Recognition of interstate apprehension orders

 7. For section 42J, it is a condition of recognition of an interstate apprehension order that the order complies with the interstate agreement under which it is issued and any applicable requirements of the relevant corresponding law.

People authorised to apprehend under interstate apprehension orders

 8. The following people are authorised to apprehend a person under an interstate apprehension order 

(a) a doctor;

(b) persons authorised under paragraphs 42K(1)(c) and (d) of the Act.

Place to which people can be taken in Norfolk Island under interstate apprehension orders

 9. The only place in Norfolk Island that a person apprehended under an interstate apprehension order can be taken to and detained at is the Norfolk Island Hospital.

Place to which people can be taken in Queensland under section 42E

 10. For the purposes of subsection 42E(1) of the Act, an approved mental health facility in Queensland is a health service or part of a health service, declared by the Queensland Director of Mental Health, by gazette notice, to be an authorised mental health service under section 495 of the Queensland Act.

Application of Act to persons transferred from Norfolk Island

 11. Upon a person being accepted into the custody of an authorised person or persons in a State for removal to an approved mental health facility in that State, the provisions of the Act cease to apply to that person and the provisions of the relevant mental health Act of that State apply subject to such arrangements as may be agreed upon in an interstate agreement which shall include provision for   

(a) regular reports concerning the mental and physical state of the person to be sent to the President of the Mental Health Tribunal; and

(b) the return of the person to Norfolk Island, if necessary for the purpose of appearing before a court or in compliance with an order of a court.


NOTES

The Mental Health Regulations 2004 as shown in this consolidation comprises Regulations No. 12 of 2004 and amendments as indicated in the Tables below.

Enactment

Number

and year

Date of

commencement

Application saving or transitional provision

 

 

 

 

Mental Health Regulations 2004

12, 2004

12.8.04

 

 

 

 

 

Mental Health (Amendment) Regulations 2004

14, 2004

20.8.04

 

[Previously consolidated as at 20 August 2004

 

 

 

 

Interpretation (Amendment) Act 2012

[to substitute throughout —Commonwealth Minister for Minister; and to substitute Minister for executive member]

14, 2012

28.12.12

 

________

 

Table of Amendments

ad = added or inserted

am = amended

rep = repealed

rs =  repealed and substituted

Provision affected

How affected

 

 

 

 

 

11

am

14, 2004

 

 

 

 

© Norfolk Island Government 2013

The Copyright Act 1968 of the Commonwealth of Australia permits certain reproduction and publication of this legislation. For reproduction or publication beyond that permitted by the Act, written permission must be sought from the Legislative Counsel, Administration of Norfolk Island, Norfolk Island, South Pacific 2899.

Overview

The Norfolk Island Mental Health Regulations 2004 were enacted to address the need for standardised procedures regarding the interstate application of mental health laws, particularly for Norfolk Island. The regulations were issued by the Norfolk Island Government under the authority of the Administrator and in accordance with the Enactments Reprinting Act 1980. The primary objective of these regulations is to ensure that mental health laws are uniformly applied across different jurisdictions, facilitating the transfer and management of patients between Norfolk Island and other states such as New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland. The regulations establish clear guidelines for the recognition and enforcement of interstate apprehension orders, the identification of corresponding laws and people, and the procedures for transferring patients to and from Norfolk Island, ensuring that appropriate mental health services are provided in a coordinated manner.

Scope and Application

The Norfolk Island Mental Health Regulations 2004 govern the interstate application of mental health laws on Norfolk Island, specifically addressing the transfer and custody of patients from and to other Australian jurisdictions. These regulations apply to individuals who are classified or forensic patients under the Queensland Act, persons subject to certain orders under the Queensland Act, and persons detained or apprehended under the Mental Health Acts of New South Wales and Victoria, among others. The regulations detail the conditions under which these individuals, referred to as "interstate custodial patients," can be transferred to Norfolk Island and the procedures for their apprehension and detention. These regulations also outline the corresponding laws and people involved in interstate apprehension orders, including the requirement for compliance with interstate agreements and relevant mental health laws. The Norfolk Island Hospital is designated as the sole facility where individuals apprehended under interstate apprehension orders can be detained. The scope of these regulations is limited to Norfolk Island, and they provide specific provisions for the application of the Act to persons transferred from Norfolk Island to approved mental health facilities in other states, including arrangements for reporting and potential return to Norfolk Island.

Key Provisions

The Norfolk Island Mental Health Regulations 2004 establish the framework for the interstate application of mental health laws between Norfolk Island and other states in Australia, namely New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland. Section 1 identifies the regulations as the "Mental Health Regulations 2004." These regulations came into effect on 12 August 2004, as stipulated in section 2. The definitions in section 3 provide clarity on terms such as "interstate agreement," "interstate apprehension order," and the specific mental health acts of the relevant states and Norfolk Island itself. The regulations lay out obligations and requirements for various parties involved in the interstate application of mental health laws. For instance, Section 4 identifies the corresponding laws from New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland that align with the Norfolk Island Mental Health Act 1996. Section 5 lists the categories of interstate custodial patients who fall under the provisions of these regulations, including those who are classified patients or forensic patients under the Queensland Act or subject to specific orders under the NSW Act and Victorian Act. Section 6 clarifies who corresponds to whom in terms of detention and custody orders across these jurisdictions. Section 7 stipulates that an interstate apprehension order is recognised only if it complies with the interstate agreement and the applicable requirements of the relevant corresponding law. Violations of the provisions within these regulations can result in various consequences. Although the specific offences and penalties are not detailed within the regulations themselves, breaches of mental health laws typically attract civil or criminal penalties under the relevant state’s mental health act. For instance, unauthorised apprehension or transfer of patients could be considered a criminal offence, with penalties including fines or imprisonment. Additionally, failure to comply with reporting requirements or court orders could result in legal action against the responsible parties. It is essential for practitioners to be aware of both the specific provisions of these regulations and the broader legal framework governing mental health in each jurisdiction.

Legal classification tags

Area of Law
Mental Health Law
Instrument
Regulation
Concepts
Definitions & Interpretation
Commencement Provisions
Interstate Application of Mental Health Laws

Interactions

Authorises

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.