Mental Health Law Remains Unimplemented in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, High Court Notes

Eight years after the Mental Health Care Act came into force, a High Court bench has found that State Mental Health Authorities in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh exist only on paper and remain non-functional. The court described the implementation as an 'empty formality' and sought annual reports from the authorities to assess their actual work. The bench directed Chandigarh to establish its own Mental Health Authority within four weeks, highlighting the continued administrative gaps in mental health governance across these regions.