UK Supreme Court Judgment: The End of the Acid Test – What Happens Next?
Garden Court North’s Kerry Smith and Ben McCormack will be speaking at ‘UK Supreme Court Judgment: The End of the Acid Test – What Happens Next?’, a free online webinar hosted by Peter Edwards Law on Thursday 16 July 2026, 4-6pm.
The webinar will provide a legal update on the impact of the recent UK Supreme Court decision to abolish the Acid Test, which determined deprivation of liberty for a vulnerable person, in the Matter of a Reference by the Attorney General for Northern Ireland of a devolution issue under paragraph 34 of Schedule 10 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998 [2026] UKSC 2.
This represents one of the most significant developments in Deprivation of Liberty and Court of Protection law in recent years, with wide-ranging implications for advocates, advocacy organisations and professionals working under the Mental Capacity Act.
Further information and free tickets are available here. The session will be recorded and distributed to those unable to attend live.
The expert panel includes:
- Peter Edwards – Director, Peter Edwards Law
- Kerry Smith – Head of Chambers, Garden Court North
- Ben McCormack – Barrister, Deputy Head of Chambers at Garden Court North and Chair of COPPA North West
- Kate Mercer – Head of Kate Mercer Training
Topics will include:
- How should a Deprivation of Liberty now be identified following the abolition of the Acid Test?
- The evolving role of Advocate RPRs in Part 8 reviews considering the removal of DoLS authorisations.
- The wider implications for Care Act Advocacy.
- The potential impact on individuals receiving treatment for mental disorder in hospital, including questions around detention under the Mental Capacity Act and DoLS.
If there are particular issues or questions you would like the panel to address during the session, please email peter@peteredwardslaw.com in advance of the event.
When: 16 Jul 2026
Start time: 16:00
End time: 18:00
