Manuela Sykes in dementia care court victory – BBC News

Posted February 26th, 2014 in anonymity, care homes, Court of Protection, mental health, news, social services by tracey

‘An 89-year-old woman who suffers from dementia and says she is “miserable” in a care home has won the first stage in a court fight to live in her own home. A Court of Protection judge has ruled Manuela Sykes can return to her flat where she has lived for 60 years on a one-month trial basis.’

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BBC News, 25th February 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Court of Protection Update – Family Law Week

‘Sally Bradley and Michael Edwards, barristers of 4 Paper Buildings, consider the President’s guidance on transparency in the Court of Protection as well as the most important recent judgments.’

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Family Law Week, 16th February 2014

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Regina v Avanzi – WLR Daily

Regina v Avanzi [2014] extempore; [2014] WLR (D) 55

‘When at issue, the burden of proving incapacity under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 fell on the party asserting it, namely the Crown, who had to discharge the burden to the criminal standard of proof and make the jury sure the complainant did not have the capacity to consent.’

WLR Daily, 6th February 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Mental capacity ruling over retainer – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The High Court has ruled that the loss of a client’s mental capacity should not automatically terminate the solicitor’s retainer.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 10th February 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

When Best Interests Collide: A Protected Party, Protected Party’s Children and the Court of Protection – Family Law Week

‘Sarah Phillimore, barrister of St John’s Chambers, Bristol, and Daniela Nickols, associate solicitor with Mowbray Woodwards, analyse the recent case of X,Y, and Z [2014] EWHC 87 (COP) in which the Court of Protection considered the interplay between the best interests of a protected party and that party’s children.’

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Family Law Week, 5th February 2014

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

RC v CC and another – WLR Daily

Posted February 5th, 2014 in adoption, children, Court of Protection, disclosure, human rights, law reports by sally

RC v CC and another [2014] EWHC 131 (COP); [2014] WLR (D) 43

‘The jurisdiction to refuse disclosure of materials to the parties in children cases was clearly established and the same fundamental principles applied in cases relating to incapacitated adults in the Court of Protection. The test to be applied was that of “strict necessity” and the question was whether it was necessary, in the interests of the incapacitated person, for the information not to be disclosed.’

WLR Daily, 30th January 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Judge orders mentally ill woman to have forced caesarean – Daily Telegraph

‘ A High Court judge has given doctors permission to perform an urgent caesarean section on a mentally-ill woman with diabetes. The woman was delivered of a baby boy within hours of Mr Justice Hayden giving specialists at the Royal Free London NHS Trust approval for the procedure, following a five-hour hearing at the Court of Protection.’

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Daily Telegraph, 1st February 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Pulling back the curtain of privacy in family and Court of Protection proceedings – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

‘New guidance on transparency in proceedings has been published by the President of the Family Division and of the Court of Protection, Sir James Munby.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 23rd January 2014

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Essex council sells elderly man’s £24,000 Pissarro painting to pay towards his care home fees – The Independent

Posted January 20th, 2014 in care homes, Court of Protection, elderly, fees, local government, news by sally

‘A painting belonging to an elderly man has been sold for £24,000 to help pay for his care home fees, a council said.’

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The Independent, 17th January 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Senior judge orders greater transparency in family court judgments – The Guardian

Posted January 17th, 2014 in Court of Protection, family courts, judgments, news, reporting restrictions by sally

‘Many more judgments from some of the UK’s most secret hearings will be published in future, the judge in charge of the family court and the court of protection has ordered.’

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The Guardian, 16th January 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Is the Mental Capacity Act incompatible with the ECHR? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted January 10th, 2014 in Court of Protection, evidence, human rights, mental health, news, select committees by tracey

‘A group of leading lawyers has expressed concern that the current system for representation of certain protected parties (P) in Court of Protection proceedings is incompatible with the ECHR.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 10th January 2014

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Mental health patients being denied human rights in court, warn leading lawyers – The Independent

‘People with mental health problems are being denied justice by some Court of Protection judges who fail to even consider hearing patients’ testimony, leading lawyers have told a House of Lords inquiry.’

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The Independent, 3rd January 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Sir James Munby: Caesarean mother case shows need for “radical change” in family courts – Daily Telegraph

‘The case of a mother whose baby was taken away following an enforced caesarean is an “irrefutable demonstration of the pressing need for radical change” in the family courts, senior judge says.’

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Daily Telegraph, 17th December 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

JO v GO and others – WLR Daily

Posted December 17th, 2013 in Court of Protection, jurisdiction, law reports, mental health, necessity, Scotland by sally

JO v GO and others [2013] EWHC 3932 (COP); [2013] WLR (D) 495

‘The English Court of Protection had no jurisdiction under section 7(1)(a) of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to exercise its functions under the Act in relation to an incapacitated adult no longer habitually resident in England and Wales. In the case of an adult lacking capacity to decide where to live, habitual residence could in principle be lost and another habitual residence acquired without the need for any court order or other formal process. Provided that the removal had not been wrongful the doctrine of necessity applied; what was required was a decision taken by a relative or carer which was reasonable, arrived at in good faith and taken in the best interests of the assisted person. There was nothing in the 2005 Act to displace that approach.’

WLR Daily, 13th December 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Pregnant woman with ‘very severe’ mental health problems could be forced to have Caesarean – The Independent

Posted December 12th, 2013 in birth, Court of Protection, medical treatment, mental health, news by sally

‘A pregnant woman with “very severe” mental health problems could be forcibly sedated and have her baby delivered via Caesarean section against her will if the need arose, a High Court Judge has ruled.’

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The Independent, 11th December 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Secret courts: couple tell of their struggle to adopt granddaughter – Daily Telegraph

‘Grandparents of child taken into care by Essex County Council tell of their anguish at not having legal rights to be her guardian.’

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Daily Telegraph, 11th December 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

The mother, the C-section baby and ‘secret British court’: a secrecy scandal – or the birth of a scare story? – The Independent

‘The first grim details published about Alessandra Pacchieri’s brief stay in Britain were, as one commentator put it, “the stuff of nightmares”.
Over the past few days, however, a different story has emerged. Transcripts of judgments relating to the case have now been made public and they reveal the nuances behind the apparently callous decisions of judges.’

Full story

The Independent, 6th December 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Judge rules that man in vegetative state should not be resuscitated if his condition deteriorates – The Independent

Posted December 5th, 2013 in Court of Protection, hospital orders, news by sally

‘A man in a vegetative state should not be resuscitated if his condition deteriorates, a High Court judge has ruled.’

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The Independent, 4th December 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

“Forced” C-section case – what we know now – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

‘Reports of a C-section being forcibly carried out on a woman that came to light in the mainstream press this past weekend have quickly made international news.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 3rd December 2013

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Woman with IQ of 49 ‘was targeted for sham marriage’ – The Independent

‘A young woman with learning difficulties was “deliberately targeted” for a sham marriage to bolster a man’s immigration case, a High Court judge has ruled.’

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The Independent, 3rd December 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk