Abstract
This article discusses the legal and ethical dimensions of involuntary medication, most notably in relation to Australian immigration detention detainees. In the article, an individual's right to self-determination in relation to medical intervention is balanced against the risk of harm to the self and to others if that individual is not compelled to take medication. The article also offers analysis of the therapeutic value and health risks associated with a range of psychotropic medications, documenting their use in Australian detention centres. It concludes that the abuse by authorities of involuntary medication needs to be checked immediately and permanently through the implementation of a federally legislated code of practice.
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