Highlights this month include:
(1) In the Health, Welfare and Deprivation of Liberty Report: an update on the Mental Capacity (Amendment) Bill; the DoLS backlog and the obligations on local authorities; capacity and social media (again); best interests and the ‘institutional echo;’ and judicial endorsement of the BMA/RCP guidance on CANH.
(2) In the Property and Affairs Report: a major new report on supported will-making;
(3) In the Practice and Procedure Report: a pilot designed to get the Accredited Legal Representatives scheme further off the starting block; the need for the early involvement of the court in medical treatment cases; transparency and committal; and DNA testing and the courts;
(4) In the Wider Context Report: oral care and learning disability; important consultations on criminal procedure/sentencing and those with mental disorders; the dangers of assessing in a vacuum; and a round-up of recent useful research articles.
(5) In the Scotland Report: major developments regarding the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Scotland Act, the Adults with Incapacity Act and the Adult Support and Protection Act and a Scottish perspective on the English MHA review and compliance with the CRPD.
You can also read the compendium and screen-friendly versions.
You can find all our past issues, our case summaries, and more on our dedicated sub-site here. With thanks to all of those who have been in touch with useful observations about (and enthusiasm for the update of our capacity assessment guide), and as promised, an updated version of our best interests guide is now out.