Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984

125 Interpretation.U.K.

(1)In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, the following expressions have the meanings hereby respectively assigned to them, that is to say—

• “absent without leave” has the meaning assigned to it by section 59 of this Act;

• “application for admission” and “guardianship application” have the meanings respectively assigned to them by sections 18 and 37 of this Act;

• “health service” has the meaning given by section 108(1) of the M1National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978;

• “hospital” means—

(a)any hospital vested in the Secretary of State under the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978;

[F1(aa)any hospital managed by a National Health Service trust established under section 12A of the said Act of 1978;]

(b)any private hospital registered under Part IV of this Act; and

(c)any State hospital;

• “hospital order” and “guardianship order” have the meanings respectively assigned to them by section 175 or 376 of the M2Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975;

• “local authority” has the same meaning as in the M3Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968;

• “managers of a hospital” means—

(a)in relation to a hospital vested in the Secretary of State under the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978, the Health Board responsible for the administration of that hospital;

[F2(aa)in relation to a hospital managed by a National Health Service trust established under section 12A (National Health Service trusts) of the said Act of 1978, the directors of the trust;]

(b)in relation to a private hospital registered under Part IV of this Act, the person or persons carrying on the hospital;

(c)in relation to a State hospital, the Secretary of State or, if the Secretary of State has appointed a State Hospital Management Committee to manage that hospital, that Committee, or, if the management of that hospital has been delegated to a Health Board or to the Common Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service, that Board or Agency, as the case may be;

• “medical practitioner” means a registered medical practitioner within the meaning of Schedule 1 to the M4Interpretation Act 1978;

• “medical treatment” includes nursing, and also includes care and training under medical supervision;

• “mental health officer” means an officer of a local authority appointed to act as a mental health officer for the purposes of this Act;

• “nearest relative”, in relation to a patient, has the meaning assigned to it in Part V of this Act;

• “patient” (except in Part IX of this Act) means a person suffering or appearing to be suffering from mental disorder;

• “private hospital” has the meaning assigned to it in Part IV of this Act;

• “responsible medical officer” has the meaning assigned to it by section 59 of this Act;

• “restriction direction” has the meaning assigned to it by section 72 of this Act;

• “restriction order” means an order made under section 178 or 379 of the M5Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975;

• “standard scale” means the standard scale defined in section 75 of the M6Criminal Justice Act 1982;

• “State hospital” has the meaning assigned to it in Part VIII of this Act;

• “statutory maximum” means the statutory maximum defined in section 74(2) of the Criminal Justice Act 1982;

• “transfer direction” has the meaning assigned to it by section 71 of this Act;

• “transfer order” has the meaning assigned to it by section 70 of this Act;

• “voluntary organisation” means a body the activities of which are carried on otherwise than for profit, but does not include any public or local authority.

(2)Unless the context otherwise requires, any reference in this Act to any other enactment is a reference thereto as amended, and includes a reference thereto as extended or applied by or under any other enactment, including this Act.

(3)Without prejudice to the last foregoing subsection, any reference in this Act to an enactment of the Parliament of Northern Ireland, or to an enactment which that Parliament has power to amend, shall be construed, in relation to Northern Ireland, as a reference to that enactment as amended by any Act of that Parliament, whether passed before or after this Act.

(4)In relation to a person who is liable to be detained or subject to guardianship by virtue of an order or direction under Part VI of this Act or under section 174, 175, 178, 375, 376 or 379 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975, any reference in this Act to any enactment contained in Part V of this Act shall be construed as a reference to that enactment as it applies to that person by virtue of the said Part VI or any of the provisions of the said sections.

(5)Any reference, however expressed, in this Act to a patient admitted to or detained in, or liable to be admitted to or detained in, a hospital or received, or liable to be received, into guardianship under this Act (other than under Part V thereof) or under Part VI of this Act shall include a reference to a patient who is admitted to or detained in, or liable to be admitted to or detained in, a hospital or received or liable to be received into guardianship under the M7Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975.