3 Hearings pertaining to discharge or continuation of hospitalization
When a person who has been hospitalized upon disposition of hospitalization under the Act on Medical Care and Treatment for Insane Persons, etc. becomes no longer needing to be hospitalized, the manager of the designated medical institution has to apply for the permission of discharge of said person to a district court. Meanwhile, in the event continued hospitalization is recognized as necessary, the manager is required to apply to a district court to confirm continuation of hospitalization every six months. A person who has been hospitalized upon disposition of hospitalization and his or her guardians can apply for the permission of discharge or the termination of medical care at any time.
In 2007, 103 applications for the permission of discharge from the hospital under Article 49, Paragraph 1 (by the manager of the designated medical institution) of the Act on Medical Care and Treatment for Insane Persons, etc., and 36 applications for the permission of discharge from the hospital and 16 applications for the termination of medical care (excluding application transferred) under Article 50iby the hospitalized person him/herself, his/her guardian or attendantjof the same Act were received, and 75 dispositions of discharge and 24 dispositions of termination of medical care were made (Source: Annual Report of Judicial Statistics).