Topic analysis

Severely disabled people can now consent to care arrangements, Supreme Court rules

The UK Supreme Court has ruled that severely disabled people aged 16 and over can give valid consent to their care arrangements through the expression of their wishes and feelings, even if they lack the mental capacity to make such decisions, moving away from the previous 'Cheshire West' 'acid test' for deprivation of liberty. The ruling, which applies UK-wide, has been criticized by major disability charities for stripping protections and potentially enabling abuse.