Section 297 Removal from public placeI1

(1)

Where—

(a)

a constable reasonably suspects—

(i)

that a person (referred to in this section and in section 298 of this Act as a “relevant person”) who is in a public place has a mental disorder; and

(ii)

that the relevant person is in immediate need of care or treatment; and

(b)

the constable considers that it would be in the interests of the relevant person, or necessary for the protection of any other person, to remove the relevant person to a place of safety,

the constable may remove the relevant person to a place of safety.

(2)

A relevant person removed to a place of safety under subsection (1) above may, for the purposes of enabling—

(a)

arrangements to be made for a medical practitioner to carry out a medical examination of the relevant person; and

(b)

the making of such arrangements as the medical practitioner considers necessary for the relevant person’s care or treatment,

be detained there for a period ending not later than 24 hours after the time at which the relevant person is removed from the public place by the constable.

(3)

If a relevant person absconds—

(a)

while being removed to a place of safety under subsection (1) above; or

(b)

from the place of safety,

a constable may, at any time during the period mentioned in subsection (2) above, take the person into custody and remove the person to a place of safety.

(4)

In this section, “public place” means a place to which the public, or any section of the public, has, or is permitted to have, access (whether on payment or otherwise); and includes the common parts of a building containing two or more separate dwellings.

(5)

If no place of safety is immediately available, a constable may, under subsection (1) or (3) above, remove a relevant person to a police station; and in any such case, any reference in this section and in section 298 of this Act to a place of safety shall be construed as being a reference to a police station.

Annotations

Commencement

I1: S. 297 in force at 5.10.2005 by S.S.I. 2005/161, art. 3 (as substituted (1.7.2005) by S.S.I. 2005/375, art. 2 and as amended (22.9.2005) by S.S.I. 2005/459, art. 2)