{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/mental-health-act-1983/section-31",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/mental-health-act-1983/section-31.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1983/20",
  "legislation_title": "Mental Health Act 1983",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/mental-health-act-1983",
  "path": "section/31",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "31",
  "heading": "Procedure on applications to county court.",
  "text": "Rules of court which relate to applications authorised by this Part of this Act to be made to the county court may make provision—\n(a) for the hearing and determination of such applications otherwise than in open court;\n(b) for the admission on the hearing of such applications of evidence of such descriptions as may be specified in the rules notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any enactment or rule of law relating to the admissibility of evidence;\n(c) for the visiting and interviewing of patients in private by or under the directions of the court.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 31 substituted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 9 para. 112; S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(c) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 31 substituted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 9 para. 52; S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(c) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1983/20/section/31",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:09:24.002453+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}