The Mental Health Court is a project of the Provincial Court of Newfoundland and Labrador (St. John’s), the Public Prosecutions Division of the Department of Justice, the Mental Health Project of the Newfoundland and Labrador Legal Aid Commission, Eastern Health and Corrections and Community Services.
The Court is designed to provide an increased level of support, both medical and community based, to accused persons appearing before it. The Mental Health Court is based on the recognition that certain offenders who suffer from a mental disorder may commit offences as a consequence of their mental disorder or due to lifestyle issues related to their mental disorder such as inadequate or inappropriate housing, lack of employment, lack of support, noncompliance with medications and inappropriate self medication with alcohol or drugs. Health care professionals and corrections personnel provide medical support and community based support to the individuals who are accepted into the Court.
The Mental Health Court deals with criminal offences that do not raise an overriding public interest in proceeding. This Court is not intended to replace the regime in the Criminal Code of Canada for cases falling under the categories of either “unfit” or “not criminally responsible”.
More Detailed Information
Note: The following links are PDFs and will open in a new window. We will be able to check off some boxes this week l