Taken in by Police is not necessarily the same as committed
A lot of people (including some MPs) are jumping to conclusions that because the media have reported Jami-Lee Ross was taken into mental health care by Police, that he has been committed, or more formally had a compulsory treatment order.
I don’t know any details around what has happened, but I do know it is not uncommon for Police to take people to a mental health facility. It doesn’t mean someone is going against their will. Unless there is some sort of official statement (and I presume only JLR could authorise one, or someone he nominates), then public speculation is unhelpful.
A few people have also been raising whether what has happened causes a vacancy under the Electoral Act.
Even if there has been a compulsory treatment order (and the Police can’t issue those, a court does) there is no vacancy for at least six months. The basic procedure is:
- Speaker of the House appoints a medical practitioner who will visit the MP, along with the Director-General of Health, and report to the Speaker if they consider the MP is “mentally disordered”
- If so, then in six months time the medical practitioner and DG again assess the MP and only if they still conclude the MP is “mentally disordered” is a vacancy created
But again it is highly highly unlikely that there has been such an order. People are misunderstanding the reference to the Police being involved.