Leeds is hosting the UK's largest conference focused on the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 this week, marking the 20th anniversary of the landmark legislation.

More than 300 professionals spanning law, healthcare, advocacy, and social care will attend the annual review conference, which is being hosted by law firm Switalskis at The Queens Hotel on 8 October. The event is a key gathering for the judiciary, specialist barristers, and frontline professionals who implement the law daily.

The MCA sets out the legal framework for making decisions on behalf of people who lack the capacity to decide for themselves due to illness, disability, or mental health conditions.

Key Discussions and Speakers

The conference features a range of high-calibre speakers who will explore complex challenges facing the Court of Protection and related fields:

Dr Janet Grace, a clinical psychologist and Court of Protection expert witness, will deliver the keynote address. Her focus will be on the challenges for clinical experts in complex cases, including issues such as coercive control, serious medical treatment, and the controversial Assisted Dying Bill.

His Honour Judge Simon Burrows will examine Article 5 rights concerning children in secure care.

Deputy High Court Judge Sam Karim KC and social care law specialist Neil Allen will present on topics including litigation capacity and the intersection of mental capacity law with criminal law.

The programme will also include barristers addressing recent developments in case law, deprivation of liberty, and decisions on medical treatment.

Alison Kaye, director and head of Switalskis’ Court of Protection Health and Welfare team, will chair the day. She noted the significance of the legislation: “The Mental Capacity Act is one of the most important pieces of legislation in modern social justice. It sets out how decisions should be made for people who cannot decide for themselves because of illness, disability, or mental health conditions. 20 years on, the Act supports daily decisions taken in hospitals, care homes, and courts across the UK."

She added that the event has become a key fixture in the UK legal and social care calendar, bringing colleagues together “to share best practice, consider the impact the Act has already had and talk about the future of the Court of Protection”.