What is the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986? The
Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 is an important law
in relation to the care, treatment and protection of people who
experience mental disorder. LINK TO The Mental Health (Northern
Ireland) Order 1986 What is Mental Disorder? Mental Disorder is
a generic term that is used throughout the Order to refer to
everyone to whom the Order as a whole applies. It is defined in
the legislation as "mental illness, mental handicap*, and any
other disorder or disability of mind". (Article 3 Para 1) * The
term mental handicap is used throughout the legislation to refer
to the group of people now referred to as having a learning
disability What is the purpose of the Order? In most situations
people will choose whether or not to seek help for their mental
disorder and will do so voluntarily. They will have the right to
accept or decline care and treatments, to choose to be treated
in hospital or in the community, to leave hospital at any time
and to live