Peers quiz legal experts on Mental Capacity Act
In its second evidence session, on Tuesday 25 June, the new Lords Select Committee on the Mental Capacity Act will question a panel of legal experts on whether the Act gives vulnerable people the access to justice they deserve.
At 10.45, the Committee will hear from:
- Nicola Mackintosh, a member of the Law Society's Mental Health and Disability Committee and principal solicitor at a law firm which regularly undertakes casework in community care, health and mental health law and advises clients with disabilities;
- Katie Johnston, Policy Officer at Liberty, where she is the lead for their work on mental capacity;
- Professor Richard Jones, Honorary Visiting Professor at Cardiff Law School, who is a qualified solicitor and a social worker and is a Consultant in mental health and community care law for a legal firm; and
- Kirsty Keywood LL.B, LL.M, Senior Lecturer at the University of Manchester, who has researched into the impact the law has on people with learning disabilities and mental health problems.
The witnesses will be questioned on whether the Act has lived up to expectations and if it provides access to justice for those who need it; how well – if at all - the Act is understood by the legal profession; if costs deter people from accessing the Court of Protection and if the recent reforms to legal aid will affect this further.
The evidence session will take place at 10.45am, on Tuesday 25 June in Committee Room 2 of the House of Lords.
The session will be webcast at www.parliamentlive.tv and is also open to the public. Journalists wishing to attend should go to Parliament's Cromwell Green Entrance and should allow time for security screening.
