Ms Ber Grogan:

I know Dr. Fiona Morrissey appeared before the committee in a different session. Dr. Morrissey and Dr. Charles O'Mahony undertook our human rights analysis on the heads of Bill. Dr. Morrissey does a lot of work with the WHO on rights training. In preparation for today and throughout the whole process, I have been looking more at this. The WHO will publish new legal guidance at the end of this year relating to coercive practices. The Council of Europe compendium of good practice on voluntary measures in mental health has examples of best practice internationally so there are loads of really good examples of how we can move away from coercive practices.

It is really welcome to hear Mr. Kiernan make those points. According to the WHO, the value attached to coercive practices such as seclusion and restraint and the need for involuntary treatment in general is influenced by beliefs and habits rather than empirical evidence. The really important point here is that evidence is showing that it can be harmful. We need to move towards trauma-informed recovery-oriented care that respects the person's dignity and human rights.