Mental Health Review Tribunal

If you have applied for the Mental Health Tribunal to review your case, either as a patient or a carer, you will need to have certain evidence ready for the panel to consider. 

You have the right to access medical records to present to the panel as part of your review.

If you are a patient you have the right to have your treating doctor or team present to assist you, especially in instances when heavy medication could affect your ability to fully understand what is happening during the hearing.

You also have the right to suggest a different course of treatment other than the one being offered to you by NT Mental Health. This could be an alternative already offered by NT Mental Health or one offered elsewhere.

As a patient involved in a review from the tribunal you are also legally allowed:

• access to your medical records or any documents relevant to your case to present to the tribunal
• to know exactly what information and recommendations your treating doctor or psychiatrist plans to tell the panel
• to request copies of any other documents your doctor or psychiatrist plans to submit to the tribunal
• access to a lawyer and the right to ask anybody else to speak on your behalf or in your defence at the hearing.

If you are a family member, friend or carer

You have the right to be present during a person's hearing with the tribunal. Although in some instances the tribunal panel has the right to limit the number of people who can be present.

You can write a letter to the tribunal in support of the patient seeking the review.

If you can't be there for the hearing you can request the panel phone you for a verbal statement in support of the review. You must tell the lawyer representing the patient if you wish to do this.