{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/mental-health-northern-ireland-order-1986/article-19",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/mental-health-northern-ireland-order-1986/article-19.json",
  "legislation": "nisi/1986/595",
  "legislation_title": "The Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/mental-health-northern-ireland-order-1986",
  "path": "article/19",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "19",
  "heading": "Person who may make guardianship application",
  "text": "(1) Subject to the following provisions of this Article, a guardianship application may be made by—\n(a) the nearest relative of the patient; or\n(b) an approved social worker,\nand such a person is, in relation to a guardianship application made by him, referred to in this Order as “the applicant”.\n(2) A guardianship application shall not be made by a person unless he has personally seen the patient not more than 14 days before the date on which the application is made.\n(3) A guardianship application shall not be made by an approved social worker except after consultation with the person, if any, appearing to be the nearest relative of the patient unless it appears to the approved social worker that in the circumstances such consultation is not reasonably practicable or would involve unreasonable delay.\n(4) A guardianship application shall not be made by an approved social worker if he gave the recommendation under Article 18(3)(b) on which the application is founded.\n(5) Where the nearest relative of a patient notifies an approved social worker or the responsible authority that he objects to a guardianship application being made in respect of the patient, then—\n(a) no guardianship application in respect of the patient shall be made by an approved social worker unless he has consulted another approved social worker (not being the social worker who gave the recommendation under Article 18(3)(b) on which the application is founded); and\n(b) if, after such consultation, an approved social worker makes a guardianship application in respect of the patient, he shall record the objection of the nearest relative on the guardianship application.\n(6) Where a patient is received into guardianship in pursuance of a guardianship application made by an approved social worker without consulting the person appearing to be the nearest relative of the patient, it shall be the duty of that social worker to inform the nearest relative of the patient to that effect as soon as may be practicable.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "1994 NI 2"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/1986/595/article/19",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T04:48:38.738443+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."
}