The Use of Neuroscience and Psychological Measurement in England's Court of Protection.

ABSTRACT: The 2005 Mental Capacity Act of England and Wales provides a description in statute law of a test determining if a person lacks "mental capacity" to take a particular decision and describes how the "best interests" of such a person should be determined. The Act established a new Court of Protection (CoP) to hear cases related to the Act and to rule on disputes over mental capacity. The court gathers a range of evidence, including reports from clinicians and experts. Human rights organisations and others have raised concerns about the nature of assessments for incapacity, including the role of brain investigations and psychometric tests. Aim: Describe use and interpretation of structured measures of psychological and brain function in CoP cases, to facilitate standardisation and impr

SUBMITTER: McWilliams A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7750429 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature