It's somewhat challenging to talk about the evidence base for involuntary treatment, because the research and the evidence are very poor on all sides. There are some studies that show that involuntary treatment is helpful. There are some that show that it's harmful, and there are some that show that it doesn't really change anything.
It's already been said by some of our other witnesses today that the use of involuntary treatment already exists through our mental health acts and can exist for people who have such severe disorders, both mental health disorders and substance use disorders, that they require care because of the lack of capacity to make decisions for themselves.
However, whenever we remove somebody's autonomy, we have to do so very carefully. Autonomy is a core component of medical care and of medical ethics, so we need to be deliberate about ensuring that, if we remove somebody's autonomy, it is because they require it. Additionally, we need to be cautious that we are not expanding involuntary treatment to the detriment of voluntary treatment for people who want to access service.