KINGSTON, Jamaica— Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland says member countries must examine mental health legislation to see whether it is in line with the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.

Speaking on World Mental Health Day, she said we must empower and protect people and urgently take steps to reform mental health legislation where this is necessary.

According to Scotland, a Commonwealth Foundation report revealed that laws in many member countries do not yet comply with the 2008 UN Convention, with legislation based on outdated understanding of the mental health conditions.

“Measures which remain on the statute book in many jurisdictions are based on approaches which have been superseded by modern advances in care and treatment of disorders,” she noted.

“Legislation in some cases results in people with mental health conditions being denied their fundamental human rights and their ability to lead fulfilling lives,” she added.