MENTAL CAPACITY ACT - legislation

1 These notes refer to the MENTAL CAPACITY Act 2005 ( )which received Royal Assent on 7 April 20051 MENTAL CAPACITY ACT EXPLANATORY explanatory notes relate to the MENTAL CAPACITY Act 2005 which received RoyalAssent on 7 April 2005. They have been prepared by the Department for ConstitutionalAffairs and the Department of Health in order to assist the reader in understanding the do not form part of the Act and have not been endorsed by notes need to be read in conjunction with the Act. They are not, and are not meantto be, a comprehensive description of the Act. So where a provision or part of a provisiondoes not seem to require any explanation or comment, none is AND Act has its basis in the Law Commission Report on MENTAL Incapacity,which was published in February 1995 after extensive consultation.

2 The Governmentconsulted further and published a Policy Statement, Making Decisions, in October 1999,setting out proposals to reform the law in order to improve and clarify the decision-makingprocess for people unable to make decisions for themselves. On 27 June 2003 theGovernment published a draft MENTAL Incapacity Bill and accompanying notes (Cm 5859-I &II) which was subject to pre-legislative scrutiny by a Joint Committee of both Houses. TheJoint Committee published their report on 28 November 2003 (HL Paper 189-I & HC 1083-I). The Government s response to the Joint Committee report was presented to Parliamentin February 2004 (Cm 6121). The renamed MENTAL CAPACITY Bill was introduced inParliament on 17 June 2004 and received Royal Assent on 7 April 2005, having been carriedover from the previous Act aims to clarify a number of legal uncertainties and to reform and update thecurrent law where decisions need to be made on behalf of others.

3 The Act will governdecision-making on behalf of adults, both where they lose MENTAL CAPACITY at some point intheir lives, for example as a result of dementia or brain injury, and where the incapacitatingcondition has been present since birth. It covers a wide range of decisions, on personalwelfare as well as financial matters and substitute decision-making by attorneys or court-appointed deputies , and clarifies the position where no such formal process has beenadopted. The Act includes new rules to govern research involving people who lack capacityand provides for new independent MENTAL CAPACITY advocates to represent and provide supportto such people in relation to certain decisions.

4 The Act provides recourse, where necessary,and at the appropriate level, to a court with power to deal with all personal welfare (includinghealth care) and financial decisions on behalf of adults lacking Act replaces Part 7 of the MENTAL Health Act 1983 and the whole of the EnduringPowers of Attorney Act 1985. A new Court of Protection with more comprehensive powerswill replace the current Court of Protection, which is an office of the Supreme notes refer to the MENTAL CAPACITY Act 2005 ( )which received Royal Assent on 7 April 20052 The Act is divided into 3 1: persons who lack 1 contains provisions defining persons who lack CAPACITY . It contains a set ofkey principles and sets out a checklist to be used in ascertaining a person s best interests.

5 Itdeals with liability for actions in connection with the care or treatment of a person who lackscapacity to consent to what is done. Part 1 also establishes a new statutory scheme for lasting powers of attorney which may extend to personal welfare (including health care)matters. It sets out the jurisdiction of the new Court of Protection to make declarations andorders and to appoint substitute decision-makers ( deputies ), where a person lacks Part also sets out rules about advance decisions to refuse medical treatment and createsnew safeguards controlling many types of research involving people who lack CAPACITY . Itestablishes a system for providing independent MENTAL CAPACITY advocates for particularlyvulnerable people.

6 It also provides for codes of practice to give guidance about thelegislation and creates a new offence of neglect or 2: The Court of Protection and the Public 2 establishes a new superior court of record, to be known as the Court ofProtection, and provides for its judges and procedures. It also establishes a new statutoryofficial, the Public Guardian, to support the work of the court. Provision is also made forCourt of Protection 3: Miscellaneous and 3 deals with private international law and transitional and other technicalprovisions and includes a declaratory provision that nothing in the Act is to be taken to affectthe law relating to unlawful killing or assisting suicide.

7 ECHR issues arise in relation to anumber of WITH Act meets the state s positive obligation under Article 8 of the EuropeanConvention on Human Rights ( ECHR ) to ensure respect for private life. ECHR issues arisein relation to a number of 8 issues in relation to private life are engaged in connection with sections 5, 6, 9and11 and could also be engaged as a result of section 20 and a court order made undersection 16(2). Any interference pursues the legitimate aim of protecting the health andwellbeing of the person lacking CAPACITY and ensures that those who care for and treat personswho lack CAPACITY are protected from certain liabilities where appropriate.

8 The principles insection 1, the criteria for lack of CAPACITY (section 2), the checklist as to best interests (section4) and the safeguards within the sections themselves create a framework within which anyinterference will be proportionate to this legitimate aim. Article 8 rights may also be engagedby section 49(7) to (9), which allows the court to direct a medical examination or interview ofthe person concerned and the examination of his health and social services records: the courtis bound by the principles in section 1 and the best interests checklist. Sections 35(6),58(5)and(6) and 61(5) and (6) also make provision whereby particular persons may interview theperson concerned and examine relevant records.

9 Again, any interference is justified as beingThese notes refer to the MENTAL CAPACITY Act 2005 ( )which received Royal Assent on 7 April 20053for the protection of that person s own health and welfare and proportionate to that aim. Thepowers are given to the relevant officials for the purpose of enabling them to carry out theirfunctions, which are directed to the protection of the interests of the person who under Article 1 of the First Protocol may be engaged in connection with sections7 to 9 and 12 which provide for the control of a person s property and affairs and payment onhis behalf for necessary goods and services. The statutory rules are intended to be clear andprecise and are designed to strike a fair balance between the property interests of the personlacking CAPACITY , his own wider welfare interests and the interests of others (personssupplying necessary goods and services to the person lacking CAPACITY , anyone bearing thecost and, in the case of section 12, persons related to or connected with him).

10 10(2) and 13(8) and (9) prevent a bankrupt from acting as a donee of a lastingpower of attorney (an LPA ) where the power covers property and affairs and suspend thatpower where there is an interim bankruptcy restrictions order. Interim bankruptcyrestrictions orders will not bring an LPA to an end; but the appointment and power would besuspended (as far as it concerns the donor s property and affairs) so long as the order haseffect. Bankruptcy restrictions orders are provided for in Schedule 4A to the Insolvency Act1986. Article 8 and Article 14 rights may be engaged but any difference of treatment has thelegitimate aim of protecting an incapacitated donor from the possibility of financial abuse andis proportionate to that donee of an LPA can be given power to refuse to give consent to life-sustainingtreatment on behalf of the donor (see section 11(7) and (8)).