Media Release - Calls for urgent reform to CLMIA Act
PEAK body for community mental health, the Western Australian Association for Mental Health (WAAMH) hosted a forum for nearly 100 people today, discussing the urgent need to reform the Criminal Law Mentally Impaired Accused (CLMIA) Act.
The forum, which attracted a wide range of consumers, and health and legal professionals, was held to coincide with the Department of the Attorney General's release of a discussion paper on CLMIA and the call for feedback.
Panelists and presenters from multiple disciplinary backgrounds spoke at the event, including the Mentally Impaired Accused Review Board chairperson His Honour Judge Robert Cock QC, Inspector of Custodial Services Professor Neil Morgan, and Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists' Edward Petch.
WAAMH president Alison Xamon chaired the panel discussion and said legislative change for this unjust and hopelessly outdated law was imperative.
"We want urgent reform on this issue," Ms Xamon said.
"The purpose of today's forum was to set the agenda for legislative reform and enable better outcomes for people with mental illness.
"This discussion aimed to inform, educate and enable our members and other stakeholders to advocate for CLMIA reforms."
Presentations also included personal accounts from a consumer and carer perspective on how the justice system had failed them.
Presenters considered the issues involved in improving service responses, and the legislative changes that might enable this.
Mr Petch said prisons were places for people to be punished, and it didn't make any sense to punish people unfairly for being unwell.
Prison systems do not provide the right and necessary supports for vulnerable people living with an intellectual impairment or mental illness.
Ms Xamon said the outcome of the forum and issues raised would set the agenda for WAAMH's next step of action and help inform its submission to the Attorney General's discussion paper.
Feedback on the paper closes on December 12.