[Legal status of persons with mental illness in Serbia]

In this study, legal status of the mentally ill has been discussed in the context of Serbian legislation. The topics covered are the following: 1) the admission of persons with mental illness to psychiatric institution, 2) general (legal) competence, 3) marital relations of persons with mental illness, 4) legal definitions of sanity and security measures of medical character. Serbia still has no general law on mental health which would be in accordance with European standards, and the existing legislation which deals with the rights of persons with mental illness is, to a large extent, incomplete and obsolete. The author appeals for passing the law on mental health which should: a) follow modern trends in psychiatry concerning the protection of human rights with the basic goal to protect society and mentally ill persons, b) to protect the professional and moral integrity of psychiatrists, c) to provide ethically and professionally acceptable authorization for the use of force, if necessary, in order to prevent criminal acts and/or self-injuries in patients suffering from severe psychical disorders, d) to conceptualize forensic psychiatric treatment (the security measures, corrective psychiatry) and the programs of rehabilitation as an integral part of the community mental health protection system.