One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest18133 min
Synopsis
The Crime, Punishment and Rights Film Series presents: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
[The University of Galway School of Law and Irish Centre for Human Rights in partnership with Pálás Cinema]
Jack Nicholson plays a Korean War veteran and criminal who pleads insanity and is admitted to a mental institution, where he rallies up the scared patients against the tyrannical nurse.
This classic film explores the human rights issues associated with residential mental health services, in particular involuntary detention and forced treatment. It portrays the dehumanising effects of coercive psychiatric practices and underscores the importance of respecting autonomy (legal capacity), dignity, and the right to refuse treatment.
In conjunction with the screening, we will briefly consider the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which has, for over two decades, driven global law reform. The CRPD urges states to abolish mental health laws that allow involuntary detention and forced treatment, a position that remains contentious and contested.