Alex Ruck Keene formed part of a panel on Suicide, psychiatry and the law at the Royal College of Psychiatrists International Congress 2021, held virtually between 21 and 24 June 2021.
Drawing upon work done in Workstream 6 of the Mental Health and Justice Project, Alex spoke alongside a psychiatrist, Dr Chloe Beale, and a service user, Ellie Thomas, to frame the place of capacity assessment in the context of the risk of suicide.
A particular focus of Alex’s presentation was upon the place that the presumption of capacity plays at such point. This blog by Alex summarises some of the key legal considerations that are in play in England & Wales.
This ‘in conversation’ webinar involving Alex and Dr Tania Gergel, another lead researcher on the MHJ project, also touches upon the (mis)use of the presumption.