The strengths of Matrix Mental Health team in all aspects of public, community care, human rights and criminal law make it ideally placed to deal with the wide range of legal and ethical issues that cases present.  Members of the team have appeared in leading cases involving:

* the lawfulness of continued detention and discharge conditions

* the application of the Human Rights Act to "restricted pateients" within the meaning of the Mental Health Act 1983

* individual rights, including the right to disclosure of information and the right to respect for private and family life

* discrimination in relation to mental health in employment and access to services

In 2005, for the second year running Matrix sponsored the mental health lawyer of the year award at the Independent Lawyer of the Year (LALY) awards run by Independent Lawyer magazine.  The awards ceremony was in central London on 23 June. Cherie Booth QC chaired the judging panel, as she did in 2004.