I've been sectioned or detained
Being detained doesn't remove your rights. You must be told why you're held, how long for, and how to challenge it.
The interactive version is available in 6 languages and Easy Read.
Your rights
- To be told, in a way you understand, which section you're under and what it means.
- Free help from an Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA).
- To appeal to the Mental Health Tribunal and the hospital managers.
- Free legal representation for the Tribunal.
- Free aftercare when you leave if you were held under certain sections (such as section 3).
What to do next
- Ask staff for your section rights leaflet and an IMHA referral.
- Ask for a solicitor on the Law Society's mental health panel. Legal aid covers Tribunal cases.
- Note your deadlines. For example, a section 2 appeal must be made within the first 14 days.
- Nearest relatives have rights too. Ask staff what they are.
Say this
“Please tell me which section I'm detained under, and put me in touch with an IMHA and a solicitor for the Tribunal.”
The law behind it (England)
- Mental Health Act 1983s.132 information about rights, s.130A advocacy, s.66 Tribunal, s.117 aftercare
- Human Rights Act 1998Article 5: liberty
Elsewhere in the UK
- Scotland
- In Scotland, the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 applies.
- Wales
- In Wales, the Mental Health Act 1983 applies, along with the Mental Health (Wales) Measure 2010.
- Northern Ireland
- In Northern Ireland, the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 applies.
Easy Read
What you need to know
- This is sometimes called being sectioned.
- You still have rights.
- Staff must tell you why you are kept there and for how long.
- You can get a free helper called an advocate.
- You can ask a tribunal (a panel) to let you go. A lawyer is free.
What you can do
- Ask staff for an advocate and a lawyer.
- Ask about your deadline to appeal.
Last reviewed: November 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. How we check our information.