General

The Court of Appeal has ruled that a 15-year-old child should be allowed to legally change their given name, overturning an earlier decision of the High Court. At the...

The Court of Protection recently granted an application by two NHS trusts for authorisation to carry out a planned caesarean in respect of a woman who was due to give...

It is understandably common for family members and friends to take a more optimistic view of a patient’s prospects of recovery than the medical professionals involved. A tragic case in...

When entering into business relationships, it is always sensible to record any agreements in writing to minimise the risk of later disputes. The point was demonstrated in a recent case...

In a decision it described as ‘finely balanced’, the Court of Protection recently ruled on whether it was in a woman’s best interests to remain in her current placement in...

The Court of Protection recently had to decide whether a pregnant woman had capacity to decide whether or not to undergo a planned Caesarean section and, if she did not,...

In a recent case involving an application to permit naso-gastric feeding of a 12-year-old girl, the High Court considered how to resolve an apparent conflict between the Code of Practice...

The courts are often called upon to decide whether continued treatment is in the best interests of patients. Recently, the Court of Protection rejected an NHS trust’s application for a...

Court and tribunal hearings usually take place in public, as part of the principle of open justice. However, a judge can decide to hold a hearing in private if it...

When deciding whether it is in a patient’s best interests to continue life-sustaining treatment, the courts will look to the patient’s views and beliefs, where known, as well as the...