§.3. Conditions for involuntary psychiatric care

Involuntary psychiatric care may be applied in regards to a person with a serious mental illness if this is found necessary in order to avoid that the person as a result of the mental illness

A. get his/her prospects of recovery or major progress significantly reduced, or that there is a major probability that the persons condition will significantly deteriorate in the near future, or he/she

B. constitutes a immediate and serious danger to his/her own or other peoples lives and well being.

Involuntary psychiatric care may only be applied after voluntary psychiatric care has been tried, without success, or if it is obviously unreasonable to try this.

 

(Translated from the 1999 Norwegian law on involuntary psychiatric care)