Edinburgh Napier's Centre for Mental Health Practice, Policy and Law Research invite you to join them for a webinar on 16 September 2025. 

Background information:

The Scottish Government has announced that a Bill to modernise the Adults with Incapacity Act will not be brought forward before the next Scottish elections in 2026. Instead, further work is to be done on issues including supported decision-making; deprivation of liberty and covert medication with a Minister-led Oversight Group.

Meantime, more than ten years after the Cheshire West judgment and recommendations of the Scottish Law Commission, Scotland’s laws remain vulnerable to human rights challenge. Recently, in Aberdeenshire Council v SF (2024) and Argyll and Bute Council v RF (2025), the English courts refused to endorse guardianship orders made by Scottish courts, on the grounds that they are not compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.

This webinar will consider the implications of these English judgments, discuss how to accelerate law reform, and consider what improvements to practice would bring Scotland closer to compliance with its human rights obligations.

Speakers: 

• Francesca Gardner, Barrister, 39 Essex Chambers, London, Counsel in Aberdeenshire Council v SF and Argyll and Bute Council v RF
• Dianne Millen, Principal Solicitor, CDM Legal
• Neil Gibson, Adult Social Work Policy & Practice Lead, Social Work Scotland
• Adrian Ward MBE LL.B, Independent Consultant

Please contact cmhpplr@napier.ac.uk with any enquiries.

Reserve your place now

Attendance at this webinar is FREE but you must register via this Eventbrite >

Our Centre for Mental Health, Practice Policy & Law Research

You can find out more about Edinburgh Napier's Centre for Mental Health Practice Policy & Law Research by watching the video below or visiting https://www.napier.ac.uk/mhppl