The mental illness of Captain Charles Robertson Hyndman resulted in his compulsory hospitalization in Tarban Creek Asylum in 1843 and 1864–1866. His illness, and the question of mental health law which was subsequently raised, were of great significance for the colony of New South Wales in that it led to the first specific lunacy legislation in the state. The issues raised are still the fundamental questions with which contemporary mental health law is concerned.
Richard Griffith, Senior Lecturer in Health Law at Swansea University, considers the role of the nearest relative, a statutory friend, appointed for patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983