Mental Health Act 1959

53 Discharge and variation of orders under s. 52

(1) An order made under section fifty-two of this Act in respect of a patient may be discharged by the county court upon application made—

(a) in any case, by the person having the functions of the nearest relative of the patient by virtue of the order;

(b) where the order was made on the ground specified in paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of the said section fifty-two, or where the person who was the nearest relative of the patient when the order was made has ceased to be his nearest relative, on the application of the nearest relative of the patient.

(2) An order made under the said section fifty-two in respect of a patient may be varied by the county court, on the application of the person having the functions of the nearest relative by virtue of the order or on the application of a mental welfare officer, by substituting for the first-mentioned person a local health authority or any other person who in the opinion of the court is a proper person to exercise those functions, being an authority or person who is willing to do so.

(3) If the person having the functions of the nearest relative of a patient by virtue of an order under the said section fifty-two dies, the foregoing provisions of this section shall apply as if for any reference to that person there were substituted a reference to any relative of the patient, and until the order is discharged or varied under those provisions the functions of the nearest relative under this Part of this Act shall not be exercisable by any person.

(4) An order under section fifty-two of this Act shall, unless previously discharged under subsection (1) of this section, cease to have effect—

(a) if the patient was on the date of the order liable to be detained in pursuance of an application for admission for treatment or subject to guardianship under this Part of this Act, or becomes so liable or subject within the period of three months beginning with that date, when he ceases to be so liable or subject (otherwise than on being transferred in pursuance of regulations under section forty-one of this Act);

(b) if the patient was not on the date of the order, and has not within the said period become, so liable or subject, at the expiration of that period.

(5) The discharge or variation under this section of an order made under the said section fifty-two shall not affect the validity of anything previously done in pursuance of the order.