Involuntary Hospitalisation in France: Major Evolution of Legal Aspects

Involuntary hospitalisation has been legal in France since 1838. The first reform took place in 1990. However, critics postulated that this first reform did not adequately respect the rights of patients. Consequently, further reforms were introduced in 1990. In 2011 further reforms rendered involuntary hospitalisation consistent with European requirements, introducing systematic control by the Juge des Libertés et de la Détention (Judge of Freedoms and Detention) for each patient hospitalised without consent. The purpose of this article is to provide a qualitative description of the evolution of the legal concerns surrounding involuntary hospitalisation in France.