Human Rights: Friend or Foe to Psychiatrist

This event is aimed at all psychiatrists, resident doctors and medical students who wish to enhance their knowledge and understanding of human rights related issues in psychiatry. All the speakers are national and international experts in their field.

Examining a variety of human rights related issues that arise within psychiatric practice daily, it will consider the role of coercion and restrictive practices in psychiatry, and how psychiatrists can minimise such practices without compromising patient care. Criminal responsibility in individuals with mental disorders will be discussed, along with the role of psychiatric evidence in the judicial system. The historical context for human rights abuses in psychiatry will be covered along with how modern psychiatric training will help to protect itself from such abuses.

The event will also provide attendees with practical guidance around delivering human rights compliant psychiatric practice, including insights from mental health regulatory bodies.

After attending this event you will be able to:

• Appraise the role of coercion and any form of restrictive practices in psychiatry, with an awareness of how psychiatrists can minimise such practices without compromising patient care
• Consider the interplay of human rights and criminal responsibility for individuals with a mental disorder in the judicial system and the role of psychiatric evidence
• Develop awareness of some of the historical human rights abuses in psychiatry, and how current psychiatric training helps to avoid repetition of such abuses
• Develop full awareness of the human rights issues that concern regulatory bodies in the UK and practise in a way that is fully complaint with human rights.

This event will be hosted online via our online platform, EventsAir. You will have the option to watch live, or on-demand later.

Registered participants will receive their link to watch the conference in their joining instructions. Joining instructions will be sent out a week before the conference is due to take place. You will also receive access to event recordings for twelve weeks post event (Wednesday 8 January 2027), subject to speakers permissions. 

All registered participants will also have access to this conference recording until Wednesday 8 January 2027 (12 weeks).

• Visit our EventsAir FAQs for attendees in advance of the event to familiarise yourself with the platform and to troubleshoot any problems you may have.
• We have also produced an Attendee EventsAir Guidance Booklet  (PDF)which covers all aspects of your journey as an attendee on the online platform. The guide will take you through what you can expect from the EventsAir platform (Joining a conference session, Networking with other attendees, How to view resources, How to watch at a later date, Technical queries)
• You could also watch our handy Attendee Explainer Video

We recommend that you log into the platform in advance of the event to ensure that you are able to access the platform. The recommended browser for EventsAir is Google Chrome, other browsers may not be compatible with the platform functionality. 

When you join the event online you will be able to:

• View a video of the speaker alongside any slides
• Ask your questions to the speakers and chat with other delegates via the discussion forum

To successfully join the event online you will need:

• Access to a reliable internet connection
• A PC, laptop, tablet or phone

Ticket prices – you will be able to select your ticket type when you make your booking.

When you select the yellow booking button, you will be able to register an account if you are not already a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists – you can then book your preferred ticket type.

Book online – pay using a debit card or credit card and receive instant confirmation and a receipt

Is your organisation paying on your behalf? – Use the online booking system to request a payment link – you can share this link with your organisation if they are paying on your behalf

The small print

• Event registrations are confirmed when payment is received in full.
• Joining instructions are sent approximately one week in advance.

Read our terms and conditions before making your booking, which covers:

• Event Cancellation Policy
• Privacy Policy
• Code of Conduct
• Parent and baby policy

The fee you pay relates to your RCPsych membership status – check your status.

Subsidised rate includes those on lower incomes paying a subsidised RCPsych membership rate (maternity or parental leave, working part time or taking a career break) and International RCPsych Members residing in band D and C countries. 

Medical Students and Foundation Year Doctors can apply for free RCPsych membership, which then gives you access to reduced conference registration fees, amongst other benefits

We welcome allied health professionals to the conference, which is at the non-member/allied health professionals ticket option:

• Art therapists
• Dietitians
• Dramatherapists
• Music therapists
• Occupational therapists
• Operating department practitioners
• Orthoptists
• Osteopaths
• Paramedics
• Physiotherapists
• Podiatrists
• Prosthetists and orthotists
• Radiographers
• Speech and language therapists