Campaigners are today demonstrating outside the Department of Health in protest at "dangerous and draconian" plans to reform mental health legislation.

Members of Critical Mental Health Forum, which is made up of psychiatric service users, professionals and academics, will be marking their opposition to the draft Mental Health Bill.

Forum Response: Royal College of Psychiatrists

Dr Mike Shooter, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, who co-chaired the meeting with Paul Farmer, chair of the Mental Health Alliance, said: "This proposed legislation is unethical, unworkable, unhelpful.

"The government is trying to sell this as a Public Safety Bill - it will have the opposite effect. For example, an uncooperative drunken, but harmless, teenager could find themselves detained in a mental health unit."

Forum Response: Depression Alliance

A spokeswoman for the Depression Alliance told ePolitix.com: "Around one in four people are affected by a mental illness which can range from depression and phobias to schizophrenia. The draft Mental Health Bill, which is only at the consultation stage, is so vague that at present any one of us could be locked away on a whim by a 'medical professional' with no access to judge or jury."Not only does this bill promote an unjust inconsistency in the way physical and mental illness is viewed, it would also prove unworkable and probably stop people seeking treatment.

"The government is feeding people's fears about mental illness whilst sneaking through a Public Order Bill masquerading as mental health legislation. The consultation process has done precious little to allay the fears of mental health organisations like ours."

Forum Response: SANE

Margaret Edwards, head of strategy at SANE, told ePolitix.com: "SANE has campaigned for new mental health laws, to provide positive rights and greater safeguards for people with mental illness, their families and carers.

"The draft bill published in recent weeks falls seriously short of what we and others in the Mental Health Alliance wish to see, and SANE will be joining the march planned for 14 September to highlight our concerns and press for changes. "