By Rhiannon Snaith, 16th March 2023 I am a PhD student at Cardiff University researching media representations of end-of-life decisions. I have previously observed a number of hearings in the Court of Protection (CoP) and have blogged about several cases (see bio). I was keen to watch this hearing as I’d learnt that it wasContinue reading “Treatment escalation for a teenager in ICU”
Tag Archives: Transparency Order
Man lives for months in care home bathroom: “An egregious situation”
By Celia Kitzinger, 22nd February 2023 The man at the centre of this case is in his mid-50s and lives in a care home – or more specifically, in a communal bathroom of a care home. He “retreated” to the bathroom more than six months ago in July 2022 “where he has essentially remained and emerged on only limitedContinue reading “Man lives for months in care home bathroom: “An egregious situation””
Researching the Court of Protection: Accessing hearings as a PhD student
By Rhiannon Snaith, 9th December 2022 I’m starting a PhD looking at the media reporting of Court of Protection decisions about life-sustaining treatment. I’m lucky enough to have an ESRC scholarship to do this work, under the supervision of Professor Jenny Kitzinger at Cardiff University. As part of my project, I obviously want to study hearings, understand howContinue reading “Researching the Court of Protection: Accessing hearings as a PhD student”
Application to name a protected party in the context of ‘jigsaw identification’
Sometimes it’s impossible to report meaningfully on a case without conveying information that makes it “likely” that the person at the centre of the case can be identified.
Medical treatment for people with learning disabilities: Telling Robert Bourn’s story and the challenges of ‘transparency’
The initial response of his treating team, says his mother, was to say there were no treatment options. Comfort measures only were proposed and a palliative care referral was made.
Home-owning resident of 50 years faces intervention by Council
By Daniel Cloake, 24th September 2021 A man whose identity is protected by court order faces temporary removal from his home of 50 years to enable building work and medical treatment to be carried out. I observed this attended (in-person) hearing (Case: 12014791 “JD -v- Ealing Council”) before the Senior Judge of the Court of Protection HHJContinue reading “Home-owning resident of 50 years faces intervention by Council”
“An onlooker at someone else’s social event”: A mother’s experience of the court
I don’t understand what was decided at the hearing. I did not get anything like a bit of paper saying “This is what was decided at your court hearing”. I don’t understand why there is another hearing planned for next year. Throughout these months between now and the next hearing my belief is that Lillian is not being given the care that she needs and is not being protected. I just want my daughter to come home.
He’s Polish: Challenging reporting restrictions
By Celia Kitzinger, 1st April 2021 Previous blogs – and the mainstream media – have reported that RS ( the person at the centre of a ‘right to die’ case) was Polish, that the members of his family who wanted life-sustaining treatment to continue are Polish, and that the Polish government was seeking his returnContinue reading “He’s Polish: Challenging reporting restrictions”
Mentoring undergraduates to observe a Court of Protection hearing
My experience of mentoring students and integrating a court hearing into the course I was teaching was time consuming but it was a rewarding teaching experience. Engaging with how this hearing unfolded in real time has helped my students to understand the complex interface between law, medicine and lived experience. This can only enhance their development as students, as future professionals, and as citizens and help to promote the principles of open justice.
Waiving anonymity to promote care home visiting rights: Michelle Davies Part 1
The intention of the transparency order is to protect the person’s privacy and this is what many people who become “P”s in the Court of Protection want (or would have wanted). For others, though, their Article 8 right to privacy may be outweighed by the competing interest of their Article 10 to right to freedom of speech and open scrutiny of the circumstances in which they have been placed.
Promoting Open Justice in the Court of Protection 