This year's conference
Our Mental Capacity Act 2005 Annual Review 2023 conference will take place on Thursday 12th October 2023. Please save the date in your diary.
This year we've moved to a new location, the award winning events space, Aspire in Leeds. The venue is conveniently located, just three minutes walking distance from Leeds train station. We hope you're able to join us for what will no doubt be another great event.
Our line-up of highly regarded speakers can be found below. As always, attendance at the conference will qualify for CPD points.
Tickets
Last year's conference
This year's speakers
Neil Allen, Barrister, 39 Essex Chambers
Neil is a barrister at 39 Essex Chambers, Senior Lecturer at the University of Manchester, and Founder of LPS Law Ltd. With particular interests in human rights, mental health and incapacity law, he has been ranked by the legal profession as a leading barrister in the Court of Protection.
Neil has been involved in many of the leading cases in this field, including Cheshire West, N v ACCG, and Re X, as well as many reported cases in the lower courts which have shaped the law.
He also teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students, regularly delivers professional training to a variety of audiences which is complemented by his site, www.lpslaw.co.uk.
Hannah Bakshani, Barrister, St Johns Building's
Hannah is a Court of Protection specialist. Hannah joined Chambers as a tenant in October 2022 following the successful completion of her pupillage under the supervision of Joseph O’Brien KC.
Hannah represents all parties, including the protected party (‘P’), statutory bodies and family members. She regularly receives instructions from the Official Solicitor.
Since becoming a tenant, Hannah has established herself as a ‘go to junior’ in the Court of Protection. She already has advocacy experience of contested capacity and final hearings, including fact finding hearings. Hannah has appeared before Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 judges in the full range of health and welfare cases in the Court of Protection.
Dr Janet Grace, Consultant Neuropsychiatrist
Dr Grace works fulltime in private practice. Her work comprises clinical management of the neuropsychiatric sequelae of brain injury and neurological disorders, Tourette's disorder and ADHD. Her non-clinical work includes reports for the Court of Protection, Personal Injury, Clinical Negligence and Criminal cases.
Prior to this Dr Grace was the clinical lead for the neurobehavioural unit at Walkergate Park Hospital, Newcastle. The unit is a highly specialised in-patient ward for people with psychiatric sequelae of acquired brain injury. She subsequently spent 12 months as the lead consultant for the acute neuropsychiatry assessment and treatment unit, and was an out patient consultant for the regional neuropsychiatry service until leaving in August 2016.
Sam Karim KC, Head of the Court of Protection, Kings Chambers
Sam has been a specialist in this area since the advent of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and has been at the forefront of developing case law in this jurisdiction since the implementation of the Act.
In addition to his Court of Protection work, Sam is also a specialist in the following areas:
- Domestic and international commercial arbitration in which he acts as counsel and sits as panel or sole arbitrator
- Procurement
- Judicial Review and Human Rights / Civil Liberties
Sam is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and is admitted as a practitioner in the Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC) Court.
Dr Catriona McIntosh, Clinical Neuropsychologist
Dr McIntosh has specialist expertise in Neuropsychology, providing cognitive assessments, capacity assessments, therapy and rehabilitation to people with acquired brain injury and neurological conditions.
She has experience in working as a Clinical Lead managing complex cases of neurorehabilitation across a range of neurological disorders and across the life span. Her therapeutic specialties are in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, the Neurobehavioral Model and Cognitive interventions.
Joseph O'Brien KC, Head of the Court of Protection, St John's Buildings
For many years Joseph has been recognised as a leader in the field of adult social care and Court of Protection proceedings. He is regularly instructed by local authorities, hospitals, CCGs and other health care providers. Joseph is also instructed by the Official Solicitor and family members.
Since the onset of the argument about what is ‘deprivation of liberty’, Joseph has been at the cutting edge of this jurisprudence. He has appeared in a number of the leading cases and lead in the Supreme Court in the case of P v Cheshire West and Chester Council [2014] UKSC 19.
Parishil Patel KC, 39 Essex Chambers
Parishil Patel KC has a wide ranging public law practice which encompasses:
- health
- community care
- local government (including regulation, audit and standards)
- telecommunications
- data protection and confidentiality
- prisons, immigration
- public international law
- incapacity
- and best interests
He has extensive experience of advising and acting for and against public bodies in judicial review claims (in the High Court). This includes claims brought challenging local and central government policy and involving statutory construction and in proceedings in various Tribunals. He also has extensive experience of arguing ECHR issues in domestic courts and advising on human rights in the policy context.
This year's agenda
There are so many exciting topics to cover regarding the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Court of Protection that we haven't yet narrowed down the agenda. Keep checking back to find out more details.
To give you a taste for the exciting topics we have previously covered, see last year's agenda below.
You can also see what previous delegates have said about the conference.
Last year's agenda
Welcome and introduction
Alison Kaye, Switalskis Solicitors and The Honourable Mr Justice Poole
The Court of Protection and protecting the public
Joseph O’Brien KC, St John's Buildings Barristers’ Chambers
Bedevilled by silos - the MCA and 16/17 year olds
Alex Ruck-Keene KC (Hon), 39 Essex Chambers
Capacity in mental illness
Dr Janet Grace, Consultant Neuropsychiatrist
Coming out of the pandemic: the most important Court of Protection Cases of the last 2 years
Ian Brownhill, 39 Essex Chambers
The participation of vulnerable witnesses in the Court of Protection including P giving evidence
Lorraine Cavanagh KC, St John's Buildings Barristers’ Chambers
The capacity border for hoarding disorder
Neil Allen, 39 Essex Chambers
Last year's feedback
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