Tim Spencer-Lane

Tim is a lawyer who specialises in mental capacity, mental health and social care law. He is the legal editor at Community Care Inform and senior lecturer at Kingston University.

At the Law Commission he led the reviews of adult social care, health and social care professional regulation and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. He currently works as a lawyer at the government legal department (Department of Health and Social Care) where he advises on mental capacity and mental health law.

All posts by Tim Spencer-Lane

Dissociative identity disorder and fluctuating capacity: Leicestershire County Council v P & Anor (Capacity: Anticipatory declaration) [2024] EWCOP 53 (T3)

Alcohol abuse, capacity and sexual relations in the context of a long-term loving relationship: Re PS (Severe Short-Term Memory Loss: Capacity to Engage in Sexual Relations) [2024] EWCOP 42 (T2)

Community deprivation of liberty and representation: Re PQ (Court Authorised DOL: Representation During Review Period) [2024] EWCOP 41 (T3)

Capacity, sexual relations and executive functioning: A Local Authority v ZX [2024] EWCOP 30

The Mental Health Act, places of safety and bed shortages: Surrey Police v PC & Ors [2024] EWHC 1274 (Fam)

The interface between general and social care housing provision: R (Campbell) v London Borough of Ealing [2024] EWCA Civ 540

Financial decision making under the Mental Capacity Act: a guide to the legal framework

The options available to decision makers by which they can obtain legal authority to make decisions about an individual’s property and financial affairs when the person lacks the relevant capacity.

The financial crisis and justifying adult social care charging policies: R (YVR) v Birmingham City Council [2024] EWHC 701 (Admin)

Hoarding, capacity and best interests: A Local Authority v X [2023] EWCOP 64

Capacity and accommodation – giving the person options and avoiding the protective imperative: CC v KK and STCC [2012] EWHC 2136 (COP)