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The High Court has ruled on a case in which a deceased man's son and daughter were unable to agree on the funeral arrangements that should be made for him. The man had been born in India but had lived in England for over 70 years. He passed away in...

The Court of Appeal has ruled that a 15-year-old child should be allowed to legally change their given name , overturning an earlier decision of the High Court. At the age of 12, the child had told their parents that they believed themselves to be...

The Court of Protection recently granted an application by two NHS trusts for authorisation to carry out a planned caesarean in respect of a woman who was due to give birth. The 29-year-old woman had treatment resistant paranoid schizophrenia. She had...

It is understandably common for family members and friends to take a more optimistic view of a patient's prospects of recovery than the medical professionals involved. A tragic case in which the High Court considered whether it would be lawful to...

When entering into business relationships, it is always sensible to record any agreements in writing to minimise the risk of later disputes. The point was demonstrated in a recent case in which the High Court upheld a man's claim that he was entitled under...

In a decision it described as 'finely balanced', the Court of Protection recently ruled on whether it was in a woman's best interests to remain in her current placement in England or move to a new placement in Scotland, where she had previously lived and...

The Court of Protection recently had to decide whether a pregnant woman had capacity to decide whether or not to undergo a planned Caesarean section and, if she did not, whether the procedure was in her best interests. The 37-year-old woman had been...

In a recent case involving an application to permit naso-gastric feeding of a 12-year-old girl, the High Court considered how to resolve an apparent conflict between the Code of Practice to the Mental Health Act 1983 and common-law authorities around...

The courts are often called upon to decide whether continued treatment is in the best interests of patients. Recently, the Court of Protection rejected an NHS trust's application for a declaration that it was not in a man's best interests to have a new...

Court and tribunal hearings usually take place in public, as part of the principle of open justice. However, a judge can decide to hold a hearing in private if it is deemed necessary for the proper administration of justice. Recently, the Court of...