On Wednesday, April 10, 2024, a conference on the rights of individuals involuntarily hospitalized in psychiatric institutions took place at the Faculty of Law of Charles University, organized by the Centre and Pro Bono Alliance.
After an opening speech by the Dean, the event was divided into three segments. The first segment featured a panel discussion on specific case studies from practice and court documents. Panelists were able to base their discussion on real cases, which helped in exploring issues such as the involvement of family members in decisions about the most appropriate measures, the role of guardians in both substantive and procedural matters, and the challenge of reconciling judicial consent for hospitalization with consent for specific treatment methods.
The second segment consisted of presentations that placed the previously discussed issues into a broader context. Constitutional Court judge Daniela Zemanová provided insights into the legal aspects of the topic, Petr Winkler, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health, discussed the ongoing reform of psychiatric care in the Czech Republic, and Tomáš Petr and Anežka Karásková shared perspectives from patients and their families on the less visible difficulties accompanying involuntary hospitalization.
The concluding discussion fully utilized the professional diversity of the attendees, with perspectives shared by lawyers, psychiatrists, social workers, and a representative from the Ministry of Health on the current state and future developments in the field.
We thank all the speakers and participants and hope to see you again soon!
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