Reforming the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS): what is it exactly that we want?
The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS) are the rules by which people who lack mental capacity can be deprived of liberty, most commonly in care homes or hospitals but also in supported accommodation and in the community more broadly. The present DOLS are not viewed as a success, and the Law C...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Newcastle upon Tyne
2014
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/27970/ |
| _version_ | 1848793476795203584 |
|---|---|
| author | Bartlett, Peter |
| author_facet | Bartlett, Peter |
| author_sort | Bartlett, Peter |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS) are the rules by which people who lack mental capacity can be deprived of liberty, most commonly in care homes or hospitals but also in supported accommodation and in the community more broadly. The present DOLS are not viewed as a success, and the Law Commission has a mandate reconsider a the legal framework for them. This paper is to start a debate as to what those revisions might look like.
The paper argues that the current focus on deprivation of liberty as contained in Article 5 of the ECHR is insufficient, both because the law is moving beyond this, and also because it has resonance with neither the professional carers who are likely to be the primary administrators of the new system nor the people perceived to lack capacity and their families. Our starting point should instead be to ask what will have a practical and beneficial effect on the rights and experiences of the individuals concerned.
The paper further considers the advantages and disadvantages of a system restricted to people lacking mental capacity. It makes tentative proposals as to administrative systems which might be used as a basis for discussion, and proposes that enhanced use of advocates may be a useful approach. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:00:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-27970 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:00:55Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publisher | University of Newcastle upon Tyne |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-279702017-10-12T12:56:56Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/27970/ Reforming the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS): what is it exactly that we want? Bartlett, Peter The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS) are the rules by which people who lack mental capacity can be deprived of liberty, most commonly in care homes or hospitals but also in supported accommodation and in the community more broadly. The present DOLS are not viewed as a success, and the Law Commission has a mandate reconsider a the legal framework for them. This paper is to start a debate as to what those revisions might look like. The paper argues that the current focus on deprivation of liberty as contained in Article 5 of the ECHR is insufficient, both because the law is moving beyond this, and also because it has resonance with neither the professional carers who are likely to be the primary administrators of the new system nor the people perceived to lack capacity and their families. Our starting point should instead be to ask what will have a practical and beneficial effect on the rights and experiences of the individuals concerned. The paper further considers the advantages and disadvantages of a system restricted to people lacking mental capacity. It makes tentative proposals as to administrative systems which might be used as a basis for discussion, and proposes that enhanced use of advocates may be a useful approach. University of Newcastle upon Tyne 2014-12 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/27970/1/465 Bartlett, Peter (2014) Reforming the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS): what is it exactly that we want? Web Journal of Current Legal Issues, 20 (3). ISSN 1360-1326 deprivation of liberty safeguards DOLS deprivation of liberty European Convention on Human Rights Mental Capacity Act 2005 mental competency mental capacity http://webjcli.org/article/view/355/465 |
| spellingShingle | deprivation of liberty safeguards DOLS deprivation of liberty European Convention on Human Rights Mental Capacity Act 2005 mental competency mental capacity Bartlett, Peter Reforming the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS): what is it exactly that we want? |
| title | Reforming the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS): what is it exactly that we want? |
| title_full | Reforming the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS): what is it exactly that we want? |
| title_fullStr | Reforming the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS): what is it exactly that we want? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reforming the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS): what is it exactly that we want? |
| title_short | Reforming the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS): what is it exactly that we want? |
| title_sort | reforming the deprivation of liberty safeguards (dols): what is it exactly that we want? |
| topic | deprivation of liberty safeguards DOLS deprivation of liberty European Convention on Human Rights Mental Capacity Act 2005 mental competency mental capacity |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/27970/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/27970/ |