If the police charge you with a crime, you might go to court.
At court, the magistrate can make an order called a Section 14.
A magistrate is a type of judge.
A Section 14 means you won’t have to:
- pay a fine
- go to jail.
But if you get a Section 14, you must agree to get some help. You can say what help you want.
You will get a support plan. A support plan is sometimes called a treatment plan.
Your support plan talks about:
- what support you need
- how you will get that support.
You must agree to follow what your support plan says.
If you follow your Section 14 for a year, you won’t have to go back to court.
If you don’t follow your Section 14, you might have to go back to court.
Who can get a Section 14?
A magistrate can give a Section 14 to people with cognitive disability.
When someone has a cognitive disability, they can find it hard to:
- think
- communicate
- understand
- remember.
A magistrate can give a Section 14 to people who have problems with their mental health.
Your mental health is about how you:
- think
- feel
- manage your feelings.
The magistrate will want to know about your:
- cognitive disability
- mental health problems.
The magistrate will also want to know what services you use for support.
Contact us
You can contact your lawyer if you have any questions about your:
- case
- Section 14 order.
Where can I get more help?
| Organisation | Information | Contact details |
|---|---|---|
| LawAccess NSW | Provides free telephone legal information and referrals to other services, including to your nearest Legal Aid NSW office, community legal centres, private lawyers and other organisations that can help. | Chat to our team by clicking on 'Chat with us' on the right or by calling 1300 888 529 Mon to Fri 9am - 5pm. |