'.The overall impression formed by this book, for someone who has tried to keep up to date with developing ideas, is of a dam busting.It produces a series of insights which are thought-provoking at worst and revelatory at best.Those who wish to understand better the intellectual background from which the scooping committee is working should read this book.' Alan Parkin writing in Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law September 2002. 'I recommend that Government ministers read it and reconsider.' Simon Foster writing in OpenMind September 2002. 'For those interested in mental health law this book is manna from heaven.

' Philip T Bean writing in Howard Journal of Criminal Justice September 2002. 'The book is brimming over with reflections, ideas and proposals, some (inevitably) easier to follow than others.it is the combined efforts of all the contributors that makes this book so worthy of priority reading.' John Horne writing in Journal of Mental Health Law September 2002. '. a must for anyone working in mental health care.The book is a detailed examination of the issues which the current review of mental health legislation ought to address.the contributors put together a convincing argument for new legislation that would root out the contradictions and conflicts and halt the damaging conflation between mental illness and violence towards others.

' Catherine Jackson writing in Mental Health Care September 2002.