{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/mental-health-act-1983/section-32",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/mental-health-act-1983/section-32.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1983/20",
  "legislation_title": "Mental Health Act 1983",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/mental-health-act-1983",
  "path": "section/32",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "32",
  "heading": "Regulations for purposes of Part II.",
  "text": "(1) The Secretary of State may make regulations for prescribing anything which, under this Part of this Act, is required or authorised to be prescribed, and otherwise for carrying this Part of this Act into full effect.\n(2) Regulations under this section may in particular make provision—\n(a) for prescribing the form of any application, recommendation, report, order, notice or other document to be made or given under this Part of this Act;\n(b) for prescribing the manner in which any such application, recommendation, report, order, notice or other document may be proved, and for regulating the service of any such application, report, order or notice;\n(c) for requiring such bodies as may be prescribed by the regulations to keep such registers or other records as may be so prescribed in respect of patients liable to be detained or subject to guardianship . . . under this Part of this Act or community patients , and to furnish or make available to those patients, and their relatives, such written statements of their rights and powers under this Act as may be so prescribed;\n(d) for the determination in accordance with the regulations of the age of any person whose exact age cannot be ascertained by reference to the registers kept under the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953; and\n(e) for enabling the functions under this Part of this Act of the nearest relative of a patient to be performed, in such circumstances and subject to such conditions (if any) as may be prescribed by the regulations, by any person authorised in that behalf by that relative;\nand for the purposes of this Part of this Act any application, report or notice the service of which is regulated under paragraph (b) above shall be deemed to have been received by or furnished to the authority or person to whom it is authorised or required to be furnished, addressed or given if it is duly served in accordance with the regulations.\n(3) Without prejudice to subsections (1) and (2) above, but subject to section 23(4) and (6) above, regulations under this section may determine the manner in which functions under this Part of this Act of the managers of hospitals, local social services authorities, Local Health Board Special Health Authorities ... , National Health Service trusts or NHS foundation trusts are to be exercised, and such regulations may in particular specify the circumstances in which, and the conditions subject to which, any such functions may be performed by officers of or other persons acting on behalf of those managers , boards,authorities and trusts.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 32(2)(c) substituted (1.4.1996) by 1995 c. 52, ss. 1(2), 7(2), Sch. 1 para. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 32(2)(c) repealed (3.11.2008) by Mental Health Act 2007 (c. 12), ss. 55, 56, Sch. 11 Pt. 5 (with Sch. 10); S.I. 2008/1210, art. 2(d) (with art. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 32(2)(c) inserted (3.11.2008) by Mental Health Act 2007 (c. 12), ss. 32, 56, Sch. 3 para. 15 (with Sch. 10); S.I. 2008/1900, art. 2(i) (with art. 3, Sch.)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 32(3) inserted (24.7.2007) by Mental Health Act 2007 (c. 12), ss. 45(2), 56 (with Sch. 10); S.I. 2007/2156, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 32(3) substituted (28.6.1995 for certain purposes, otherwise 1.4.1996) by 1995 c. 17, s. 2(1)(3), 8, Sch. 1, Pt. III, para. 107(4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in s. 32(3) substituted (1.4.2007) by The References to Health Authorities Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/961), art. 3, {Sch. para. 13(7(a))}"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in s. 32(3) omitted (1.4.2013) by virtue of Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), s. 306(4), Sch. 5 para. 27; S.I. 2013/160, art. 2(2) (with arts. 7-9)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words in s. 32(3) substituted (1.4.2004) by Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003 (c. 43), ss. 34, 199, Sch. 4 para. 55; S.I. 2004/759, art.2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "Word in s. 32(3) inserted (1.4.2007) by The References to Health Authorities Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/961), art. 3, {Sch. para. 13(7(b))}"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "Words substituted by virtue of National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 (c. 19, SIF 113:2), s. 66(1), Sch. 9 para. 24(5)"
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M1",
      "text": "1953 c. 20."
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 32(2)(c) modified (3.11.2008) by The Mental Health Act 2007 (Commencement No. 6 and After-care under Supervision: Savings, Modifications and Transitional Provisions) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/1210), arts. 1(1)(b), 6(d)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 32(3) modified (1.7.2005) by Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 (c. 28), s. 45(4); S.I. 2005/1705, art. 2(b) (as inserted (3.11.2008) by Mental Health Act 2007 (c. 12), ss. 48, 56, Sch. 6 para. 16(4) (with Sch. 10)); S.I. 2008/1900, art. 2(o) (with art. 3, Sch.)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "word inserted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2025/33",
      "affecting_title": "Mental Health Act 2025"
    },
    {
      "type": "omitted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2025/33",
      "affecting_title": "Mental Health Act 2025"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1983/20/section/32",
    "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."
}