Review of the mental health review tribunal panelThe Law Society's current mental health review tribunal panel was established in 1984 to provide competent representation of patients before the mental health review tribunal.

On 13 September 2000 the Society's training committee agreed that a working group should be set up to review the panel and make recommendations in due course.Key areas for change include: the procedures of the panel; requirement for a description of competency; the approved training course; and the interview.As a result of the decision to review the panel the training committee agreed, at its meeting on 13 December 2000, that a moratorium should be imposed on all reselections from 1 January 2001 for a period of not more than 12 months.

This will enable full criteria and assessment mechanisms to be developed.The training committee also agreed that a moratorium on all new applications should be imposed from 31 March 2001 until the panel is re-opened for applications in September 2001.

This will enable potential delegates attending the approved training course to make an application within a reasonable time and for current applications to be cleared prior to the launch of the revised panel.