What are Your Rights if Medical Professionals Failed to Prevent a Suicide?
If you’ve lost someone to suicide, could more have been done by medical professionals to prevent them from taking their own life?
Associate Solicitor, Public Law and Human Rights
The Human Rights Act is a UK law passed in 1998 that lets you defend your human rights in Court. It enables you to force government bodies, such as the police, prisons, the Home Office and local Councils to treat you with fairness, dignity and respect.
The Human Rights Act protects all of us and thousands of people use it to uphold their rights every single year. It can be used by every resident of the United Kingdom, whether a British citizen or a foreign national, a child or an adult, a prisoner or a member of the public.
For initial advice get in touch with our Human Rights Lawyers.
The Human Rights Act is based upon the European Convention on Human Rights. Some (not all) of those Rights include:
If you can show that your rights have been interfered with, you can take legal action. This could include taking the police, prison service, the Home Office or a Local Authority to Court to protect your rights, seek compensation and receive an apology. Sometimes the Court may make a declaration that the actions of the authority were wrong, in which case the government may have to change the law.
Equality and Human Rights Commission. (n.d.). Human Rights Act. Retrieved from https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/human-rights/human-rights-act
UK Government. (1998). Human Rights Act 1998. Retrieved from https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/42/contents
Equality and Human Rights Commission. (n.d.). Article 2: Right to Life. Retrieved from https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/human-rights/human-rights-act/article-2-right-life#:~:text=1.,penalty%20is%20provided%20by%20law
Simpson Millar LLP. (n.d.). Inquest Solicitors. Retrieved from https://www.simpsonmillar.co.uk/public-law-and-human-rights/inquest-solicitors/
UK Government. (1983). Mental Health Act 1983. Retrieved from https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1983/20/contents
Health and Safety Executive. (n.d.). The Case for Investigating Near Misses. Retrieved from https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/near-miss-book.htm
Shah, S., & Johnston, M. (2014). Near Misses and Their Relation to Major Incidents. In Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) (Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 98–99). MDPI AG. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4261330/
Mind. (n.d.). Treatment in Hospital. Retrieved from https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/crisis-services/treatment-in-hospital/
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