Queensland Consolidated Acts

MENTAL HEALTH ACT 2016 - SECT 785

785 Disclosure to lawyer

(1) A designated person may disclose personal information about a patient, including the patient’s health records and written notices given under this Act, to a lawyer if the disclosure is to enable the lawyer to provide legal services to the patient, or the State, for a proceeding in the Mental Health Court, the tribunal or another court.

(2) If the lawyer is a representative of the State, the lawyer may use the personal information, or disclose it to a victim, only to the extent necessary for the performance of the lawyer’s functions under this or another Act.

(3) In this section—

"victim" means a person who is, or may be—

(a) a victim of an unlawful act committed by a person who is the subject of a proceeding before the Mental Health Court or the tribunal; or

(b) a close relative of a victim mentioned in paragraph (a) ; or

(c) another individual who has suffered harm because of an unlawful act mentioned in paragraph (a) .