Langleys Healthcare and Welfare Unit have recently been involved in the following cases:

• Langleys represented an 18 year old patient lacking mental capacity, who had no voluntary physical movement other than a blink, and no reliable form of communication due to serious injuries incurred from jumping from a bridge. Her residence, contact and end of life medical treatment were the subject of highly contentious Court of Protection proceedings.
• Langleys represented a 96 year old lady with severe dementia who lacked capacity. Her placement in a residential care home was challenged by her daughter who acted as a litigant in person but had the support of a McKenzie friend. This McKenzie friend formed the basis of some considerable criticism by the Court and the Local Authority. Judgement was handed down by Mrs Justice Eleanor King on 24 June 2010. A second hearing which took place on 9 November 2010 resulted in the very unusal step of the Court ordering complete serverance of direct contact between a mother and a daughter . See HBCC v LG (by her Litigation Friend the Official Solicitor), JG and SG [2010] EWHC 1527 (Fam) and A Council v X (by her Litigation Friend the Official Solicitor), Y and Z [2011] EWHC B10 (COP)
• Langleys acted for the Official Solicitor on behalf of an 18 year old young mother with a moderate learning disability whose capacity to marry, enter into sexual relations and have contact with a known violent offender was brought before the Court. The Court subsequently found that the young women lacked capacity to make decisions about residence, contact, care and marriage and the court ordered that direct contact with her boyfriend was not in her best interests. A reported Judgment is awaited.
• Langleys represents a 17 year old young man with a learning disability, deprived of his liberty in a residential placement. Upon discharge from hospital he was considered to be a danger to himself and others. Langleys assisted, through the court process, his transition from a secure mental health hospital setting to a residential school where he was able to attend the local college and have visits to the family home. With the skilled intervention of his carers, secured by Langleys, he is likely to have as autonomous a life as possible.
• Langleys represented a 23 year old young adult with learning difficulties and a number of different conditions, such as ADHD and attachment disorder. This person's deprivation of liberty was challenged by her father in the Court of Protection before the President of the Family Divison. The lack of capacity finding by an independent psychiatrist was challenged, but not upheld. See RT v LT and another [2010] EWHC 1910
• Langleys acts for a patient with a complex acquired brain injury who is deprived of his liberty in a care home and desperately wants to return to his independent life in the community. He is unaware of his deficits as a consequence of his brain injury. Langleys, through the court process is facilitating specialist rehabilitation and his full involvement in the court proceedings with expert guidance.
• Langleys represents a 26 year old man in long running Court of Protection health and welfare proceedings concerning his deprivation of liberty, residence and contact with his mother. See A Primary Care Trust v P (2009) EW Misc 10 (EWCOP). Langleys recently challenged a decision in the Court of Appeal  on behalf of the Official Solicitor who acts as litigation friend for the young man, to allow Independent Print Media Lt to attend and report on cases in this matter. SeeP v Independent Print Ltd (2011) EWCA Civ 756