The UK National Preventive Mechanism is made up of 21 organisations, which independently monitor different settings of detention across the… Read more
Author: Alex RK
Alex is a barrister, writer and educator, and creator of the website www.mclap.org.uk
Updated (and one new) ‘fundamentals’ videos on key MCA matters
Before I disappear from the shed for a few weeks, I’ve taken the opportunity to redo the capacity, best interests… Read more
39 Essex Chambers December 2025 Mental Capacity Report now out – and walkthrough
Welcome to the December 2025 Mental Capacity Report. Highlights this month include: (1) In the Health, Welfare and Deprivation of… Read more
Capacity to marry – the English perspective (and is it the last word?)
Hot on the heels of the first Irish case to consider capacity to marry under their new regime, by pure… Read more
Mental health conditions, cancer investigation and capacity – the challenges of achieving parity
Powys Teaching Health Board & Anor v NT & Anor [2025] EWCOP 44 (T3), bluntly, illustrates why those with mental health… Read more
Brain stem death testing and the courts: procedural fairness, and the definitive diagnosis of death
The issue of brain stem death testing (or, more formally, diagnosing death by neurological criteria) is one that has been… Read more
Suicide prevention and the legalisation of assisted dying / assisted suicide – new position statement from the International Association of Suicide Prevention
The International Association of Suicide Prevention published on 1 December a position statement on assisted suicide and euthanasia. It is… Read more
Mental capacity matters podcast now on Spotify
For those of you who like multi-tasking in the mental capacity and mental health zone, my shedinar series is now… Read more
Capacity and marriage – the changes brought about in Ireland by the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015
In the Matter of AB is an extremely interesting decision from the Circuit Court in Ireland. It concerns the capacity… Read more
Children in complex situations at risk of deprivation of liberty – in conversation with Dr Susannah Bowyer
In this ‘in conversation’ with, I talk to Dr Susannah Bowyer, Deputy Director at Research in Practice, about the recent… Read more