The new Mental Health Act passed into law on 18th December 2025. This marks the next step in the process of mental health legal reform, making a raft of changes to the Mental Health Act 1983. The focus now is on implementing these changes - a process which will take place over a number of years. We know that the Human Rights Act is the foundation of current and future mental health legislation, including how the law is written as well as how it is put into practice day-to-day.

Crucially, the work of MHA reform does not stop when the Bill passes, it will have only just begun.

This event is:

• Focused on implementation of the new Mental Health Act as it stands now
• Intended for practitioners/people working within mental health care including policy professionals, not influencing or campaigning roles
• Not for rights holders, people accessing services, or their families
• Not an Easy Read event

You can let us know about any accessibility needs via the registration form, and we will consider reasonable adjustments. If we are informed of accessibility needs less than one week before the event, we will contact you to discuss.

BIHR has been following the process of Mental Health Act reform for several years, seeking to ensure human rights are central to legislative change. Our work in 2025 involved producing evidence to the Joint Committee on Human Rights, supporting a lived experience roundtable, and producing joint briefings with the care sector.