OUR HISTORY
Ruah Legal Services was formed in 2019 by the merger of the Mental Health Law Centre and Ruah Community Services.
It was an innovative move designed to provide a more integrated and holistic support service for clients that would discourage any re-offending and help them on the road to recovery.
Ruah is a leading community services organisation, with expertise in the areas of family and domestic violence, housing and homelessness and mental health and wellness. Our lawyers and social support staff work closely together, helping prevent clients from re-offending and assisting them on the road to recovery.
Today, the MHLC is a specialist centre within Ruah Legal Services, a broader agency offering legal assistance beyond mental health in areas such as family and domestic violence, housing and homelessness and care and protection.
Pioneers in Mental Health Law
The Mental Health Law Centre was founded in 1997, following a recommendation from the Ministerial Taskforce on Mental Health.
The Taskforce recommended the centre be established to advise and represent clients who had been made involuntary patients under the Mental Health Act 1996.
Today, our expert team specialises in criminal law, guardianship and administration, restraining orders, custody orders and other matters specifically covered by the Mental Health Act 2014 and the Criminal Law (Mentally Impaired Accused) Act 1996.
We handle more than 700 client files a year, more than half of which relate to matters before the Mental Health Tribunal, including involuntary treatment.
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