Welsh Government Publishes Draft of Mental Health Review Tribunal for Wales (Membership) Bill

The emergency law being brought before the Senedd next week underscores the urgent need to strengthen the Mental Health Review Tribunal for Wales. 

As a leading mental health charity, Adferiad is concerned that the situation highlights wider flaws in the system and the risk that patient wellbeing may not always be fully prioritised.

Adferiad has long supported individuals undergoing Mental Health Tribunals, including Jo Roberts, who has campaigned for improved safeguards for people detained under the Mental Health Act.

Adferiad’s Chief Executive, Dr Alun Thomas said:

“Adferiad recognises the urgency of ensuring that the Mental Health Review Tribunal for Wales can continue to function and is pleased to see Welsh Government taking action to keep the system running. However, these hearings are not a formality — they are a vital safeguard for people detained under the Mental Health Act, protecting their rights and ensuring that care and treatment are appropriate and proportionate.

We are profoundly concerned that the need for emergency legislation highlights deeper capacity pressures within the tribunal system and wider mental health services. Patients and families need reassurance that hearings will remain timely, fair, and informed by up-to-date clinical expertise.

Adferiad urges the Welsh Government to ensure this short-term legal fix is followed by a longer-term plan to strengthen the tribunal’s resilience and the wider system that supports it, so that the rights and wellbeing of patients are fully protected.”