Mental patients may access courts

People who believe they are being forced to receive mental health treatment when they do not need it will be able to take their cases to court, under the proposals in a new draft law.

Institutionalized mental patients and their relatives could be entitled to file lawsuits against administrative agencies, hospitals, other institutes and individuals, if they believe their rights are being infringed, according to the second reading of the draft law on mental health put to lawmakers at the National People's Congress Standing Committee on Monday.

The second reading of the law differs from the first one, put to lawmakers in October, in which mental patients would only be allowed to apply to receive two new medical appraisals if they disagree with their treatment.