Punjab and Haryana High Court: In a public interest litigation filed for implementation of Mental Health Care Act, 2017 (‘2017 Act’), the Division Bench of Sheel Nagu CJ. and Sanjiv Berry J., held that every Magistrate, police officer and person in-charge of such custodial institution has a duty to inform the person suffering from mental ailment that he/she is entitled to free legal services under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 (‘1987 Act’).
A public interest litigation was filed for implementation of 2017 Act. The respondent revealed that the process of framing of Rules under the 2017 Act was underway and requested four weeks’ time for finalization and notification of the Rules.
Taking into account Section 27 of the 2017 Act, the Court held that every Magistrate, police officer and person in-charge of such custodial institution has a duty to inform the person suffering from mental ailment that he/she was entitled to free legal services under the 1987 Act.
Considering that no orientation programme for making Judicial Officers aware of this statutory duty was undertaken by the Chandigarh Judicial Academy or any other institution, including the Legal Aid institutions, the Court directed the Registry to inform the Chandigarh Judicial Academy; the State Legal Services Authorities of the States of Punjab and Haryana; Union Territory Chandigarh as well as the High Court Legal Services Committee, to take appropriate steps in that regard.
The Court directed the Registry to implead Union of India through the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as party to the petition. Further, the Court requested Additional Solicitor General of India, to file reply on the point that there is no notification by the Government of India for constitution of Medical Health Review Board under Section 73 of the 2017 Act for Union Territory, Chandigarh.
The matter is next listed on 4-9-2025.
[Pushpanjali Trust v. State of Punjab, CWP-PIL-110-2024, decided on 24-7-2025]
Advocates who appeared in this case :
For the Petitioner: Aditya Rametra, Managing Trustee
For the Respondents: Salil Sabhlok, Addl. Advocate General and Deepak Balyan, Addl. Advocate General, Haryana.