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Mental Health Review Tribunal
Annual Reports Who is on the Tribunal? | What does the Tribunal do? | How to Contact the Tribunal
The Tribunal was established under the Mental Health and Related Services Act 1998 (the Act). It is an independent statutory body that has the power to make decisions about the care and treatment of people who have a mental illness or mental disturbance.The majority of Tribunal hearings are held to decide whether a person needs to be treated as an involuntary patient, either in hospital or in the community, in accordance with the Act.Decisions made by the Tribunal are enforceable by law.The Tribunal sits in Darwin and Alice Springs on a weekly basis. Tribunal hearings for remote locations may be held by video or telephone conferencing.The Tribunal sits as a 3-member panel. It comprises a legal member (a qualified lawyer or magistrate), a medical member (a qualified psychiatrist), and a member with special interest or expertise in the area of mental health, who represents the general community.For a full list of members please refer to the Tribunal’s most recent Annual Report link on this site.
Who is on the Tribunal?
The Tribunal has a pool of members who are rostered to sit at hearings. Three members sit at each hearing
- A legal member who is a qualified lawyer;
- A medical member who is a qualified psychiatrist;
- A community member who is a person with particular expertise and/or interest in the area of mental health.
Tribunal members are appointed by the Administrator of the Northern Territory.
What does the Tribunal do?
The main functions of the Tribunal are
- To review whether or not a person should continue to be an involuntary patient. This review must take place within 7 days of their admission to a mental health facility.
- To decide whether or not a person should be treated as an involuntary patient in the community.
- To review whether or not a person should continue to be a voluntary patient. These reviews take place after voluntary admission of 3 months or more in a mental health facility.
- To decide on applications from treating doctors to administer non-standard treatment, such as electro-convulsive therapy (ECT), to involuntary patients.
- To hear requests for a review of a decision about a person’s admission or treatment.
- To hear appeals against a decision about a person’s admission or treatment.
How to contact the Tribunal
All inquiries, lodgement of forms and correspondence in relation to review and appeal hearings are made to the Registrar located at
Level 3, Zone A
Nichols Place
Magistrates Courts
Crn Cavanagh and Bennett Street
Darwin NT 0801
Postal Address:
PO Box 1281 Darwin NT 0801
Phone: 8999 5001
Fax: 89995005
E-mail: mentalhealthreviewtribunal@nt.gov.au