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Quasi‐government: the case of the Mental Health Act Commission

Michael Cavadino (Centre for Criminological and Legal Research, University of Sheffield, UK)

International Journal of Public Sector Management

ISSN: 0951-3558

Article publication date: 1 December 1995

216

Abstract

The Mental Health Act Commission (MHAC) is a “watchdog” body concerned with the rights of detained psychiatric patients in England and Wales. It was created by the UK government as a “quasi‐governmental” body in an ad hoc manner to defuse the controversy engendered by competing lobbying bodies during the passage of reforming legislation. The consequence was that its formal (legal) constitution conflicted with the “informal constitution” of expectations about the structure and operating of the MHAC, leading ultimately to major and bitter internal conflict. The history of the MHAC suggests important lessons about the need for such bodies to have a clear and consistent constitution.

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Citation

Cavadino, M. (1995), "Quasi‐government: the case of the Mental Health Act Commission", International Journal of Public Sector Management, Vol. 8 No. 7, pp. 56-62. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513559510103184

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MCB UP Ltd

Copyright © 1995, MCB UP Limited

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