Legislation repealing the workplace discrimination of people with mental health conditions within certain roles has been passed by Parliament.
The Mental Health (Discrimination) Bill received its third reading from the House of Lords on Monday and with no amendment pending from either House is now ready for Royal Assent.
It will breakdown barriers that had previously restricted people with mental health problems participating full in society, meaning employers will have to address mental health in the workplace in the same way as physical health.
The key actions are to:
• repeal section 141 of the Mental Health Act 1983, under which a member of the House of Commons, Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly or Northern Ireland Assembly automatically loses their seat if they are sectioned under the Mental Health Act for more than six months;
• amend the Juries Act 1974 to remove the blanket ban on "mentally disordered persons" undertaking jury service;
• amend the Companies (Model Articles) Regulations 2008 which states that a person might cease to be a director of a public or private company "by reason of their mental health";
• amend the School Governance (Constitution) (England) Regulations 2007 so that individuals who have been detained under the Mental Health Act are no longer prevented from being school governors.
A date for Royal Assent has yet to be set.
