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

Mental capacity and ‘insight’: CT v London Borough of Lambeth & Anor [2025] EWCOP 6 (T3)

Case Date: 4 February 2025

Publication Date: 21 February 2025

Language deprivation, assessing the capacity of deaf people and fluctuating capacity: Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council v KZ & Ors (Rev1) [2024] EWCOP 72 (T3)

Case Date: 24 October 2024

Publication Date: 2 January 2025

The Court Report with Tim Spencer-Lane: the 2024 Mental Health Bill

Author: Tim Spencer-Lane

Publication Date: 2 January 2025

Looks at the measures contained in the 2024 Mental Health Bill.

The Court Report with Tim Spencer-Lane: the 2024 Mental Health Bill transcript

Author: Tim Spencer-Lane

Publication Date: 2 January 2025

Looks at the measures contained in the 2024 Mental Health Bill.

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

Publication Date: 11 November 2024

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)

Case Date: 19 June 2024

Publication Date: 28 August 2024

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

Case Date: 12 July 2024

Publication Date: 19 August 2024

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

Case Date: 26 April 2024

Publication Date: 3 June 2024

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

Case Date: 1 May 2024

Publication Date: 30 May 2024

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

Author: Tim Spencer-Lane

Publication Date: 10 May 2024

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.