Mental Capacity Act 2005 (c. 9)

Part 1 E+W Persons who lack capacity

Independent mental capacity advocate service E+W

[F1 39D Person subject to Schedule A1 without paid representative E+W

(1) This section applies if—

(a) an authorisation under Schedule A1 is in force in relation to a person (“P”),

(b) P has a representative (“R”) appointed under Part 10 of Schedule A1, and

(c) R is not being paid under regulations under Part 10 of Schedule A1 for acting as P's representative.

(2) The supervisory body must instruct an independent mental capacity advocate to represent P in any of the following cases.

(3) The first case is where P makes a request to the supervisory body to instruct an advocate.

(4) The second case is where R makes a request to the supervisory body to instruct an advocate.

(5) The third case is where the supervisory body have reason to believe one or more of the following—

(a) that, without the help of an advocate, P and R would be unable to exercise one or both of the relevant rights;

(b) that P and R have each failed to exercise a relevant right when it would have been reasonable to exercise it;

(c) that P and R are each unlikely to exercise a relevant right when it would be reasonable to exercise it.

(6) The duty in subsection (2) is subject to section 39E.

(7) If an advocate is appointed under this section, the advocate is, in particular, to take such steps as are practicable to help P and R to understand the following matters—

(a) the effect of the authorisation;

(b) the purpose of the authorisation;

(c) the duration of the authorisation;

(d) any conditions to which the authorisation is subject;

(e) the reasons why each assessor who carried out an assessment in connection with the request for the authorisation, or in connection with a review of the authorisation, decided that P met the qualifying requirement in question;

(f) the relevant rights;

(g) how to exercise the relevant rights.

(8) The advocate is, in particular, to take such steps as are practicable to help P or R—

(a) to exercise the right to apply to court, if it appears to the advocate that P or R wishes to exercise that right, or

(b) to exercise the right of review, if it appears to the advocate that P or R wishes to exercise that right.

(9) If the advocate helps P or R to exercise the right of review—

(a) the advocate may make submissions to the supervisory body on the question of whether a qualifying requirement is reviewable;

(b) the advocate may give information, or make submissions, to any assessor carrying out a review assessment.

(10) In this section—

• “relevant rights” means—

  (a)

  the right to apply to court, and

  (b)

  the right of review;

• “right to apply to court” means the right to make an application to the court to exercise its jurisdiction under section 21A;

• “right of review” means the right under Part 8 of Schedule A1 to request a review.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Ss. 39A-39E inserted (1.4.2009) by Mental Health Act 2007 (c. 12), ss. 50, 56, Sch. 9 para. 6; S.I. 2009/139, art. 2(e) (with art. 3)