International human rights standards and involuntary psychiatric care – Developments and Serbia’s perspective

Anđela Đukanović

doi:10.5937/ptp2403029D

Authors

Anđela Đukanović Institute of Criminological and Sociological Research, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2053-9324

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5937/ptp2403029D

Keywords:

human rights, consent, treatment, placement, mental disorders

Abstract

Unlike the interpretation of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (hereinafter: CRPD Committee), which prohibits any deprivation of liberty on the basis of mental disability, the laws of member states continue to allow and implement involuntary psychiatric measures. The recent objection by the CRPD Committee to the adoption of a legally binding document at the Council of Europe level, which aims to regulate the protection of the human rights and dignity of individuals with mental disorders, could potentially have negative consequences. At this point, a legally binding agreement is more significant than a complete prohibition on placement in psychiatric institutions without consent or the exclusion of substitute decision-makers from providing consent for treatment. This is supported by Serbian legislation, which has certain deficiencies in the procedures for the placement and treatment of individuals with mental disorders. Involuntary measures should be applied only in exceptional cases, and a legally binding document that reflects genuine state consensus could be beneficial for creating laws and ensuring protection for those subjected to involuntary psychiatric measures.

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