On 21 January 2026 a new Act became law changing the rules for medical membership of the Mental Health Review Tribunal for Wales.
Documents
Mental Health Review Tribunal for Wales (Membership) Act 2026: explanatory memorandum , file type: PDF, file size: 418 KB
PDF
418 KB
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Details
Overview
The Mental Health Review Tribunal for Wales (Membership) Act 2026 became law on 21 January 2026 and came into force on 22 January 2026.
The Act changes the rules for medical membership of the Tribunal. These changes help the Tribunal safeguard the rights of people detained under the Mental Health Act 1983.
The Act
- allows doctors who are registered with the General Medical Council, but who do not hold a licence to practise to sit as medical members. This increases the number of doctors who are available to become medical members of the tribunal and helps ensure hearings can take place on time.
- confirms that previous tribunal appointments remain valid, providing clarity and supporting continuity.
- requires the Welsh Ministers to review the training provided to medical members who do not hold a licence to practise, to ensure their professional knowledge remains up to date.
- requires the Welsh Ministers to publish a report on the review within 12 months of the Act coming into force.