Mental Health Bill Digital Conference

In his spare time from fatherhood (!), Neil Allen is a Barrister at 39 Essex Chambers, former Senior Lecturer at the University of Manchester, and Founder of the training company, LPS Law Ltd. With particular interests in human rights, mental health and capacity law, he is consistently recognised in the global rankings of the Legal500 and Chambers & Partners directories as a leading Barrister in the Court of Protection for which was last year shortlisted as Barrister of the Year.

Jenny joined South Wales Police in June 2018 as Assistant Chief Constable having previously served for 19 years with British Transport Police in various roles across Scotland and London.  Jenny has led the national implementation of Right Care Right Person on behalf of the National Police Chiefs’ Council.  Jenny has additional national responsibilities including Courts, CCTV and Community Safety Accreditation Schemes.

Alex Ruck Keene KC (Hon) is an experienced barrister, writer and educator. His practice is focused on mental capacity, mental health and healthcare ethics. He also writes extensively, editing and contributing to leading textbooks, and is the creator of the website Mental Capacity Law and Policy, providing resources and expert commentary on some of the most difficult mental capacity issues.  He is also a Professor of Practice at the Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London and a Visiting Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London.   Throughout 2018, he was the legal adviser to the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act 1983. He was a specialist adviser to the Joint Committee on Human Rights for their 2020 inquiry into the human rights implications of the Government’s response to COVID-19 and specialist adviser into their 2021-2022 inquiry into human rights in the care setting.  In March 2022, Alex was made an honorary KC, reflecting his contributions to mental capacity and mental health law outside the court room.

Dr Judy Laing is a  Professor of Mental Health Law and Policy at the Universty of Bristol Law School.  She researches and writes on aspects of mental health law and human rights, and has published extensively in these fields. She is currently working on a funded research project (partnered with Mind) to develop online resources for Nearest Relatives on their powers and duties under the Mental Health Act, drawing on collaborative research with Nearest Relatives. She has also recently carried out funded collaborative research on best interests decision making in healthcare law,  the use of the Mental Health Act for people with dementia and on balancing autonomy and risk under the Mental Capacity Act. She undertook a parliamentary academic fellowship in the House of Commons Library during 2020-2022, and published various briefings on aspects of mental health law & policy, including a briefing on reforms to the Mental Health Act.  Judy is regularly invited to speak at academic and professional conferences and she teaches medical law and mental health law to undergraduates and postgraduates at the University of Bristol.

Imaarl’s father has bipolar disorder and has been experiencing mental health crisis for many years.

Imaarl and her family believe that their father has been discriminated against by mental health services, and the delays that he’s experienced have had a drastically negative impact on him, leading to a decline in his mental and physical health. Floyde, her father, lost all his possessions, his hair, his teeth and his independence as a result of his poor mental health. Imaarl is advocating for justice for her father and also for a total systemic change to stop this happening to others.

Imaarl speaks in depth about the discrimination has father experienced, discussing the impact on her father as well as her family. She shares details of her father’s experience of in community and inpatient care. Floyde has also spoken to Mind about his experiences, giving us first hand detail of how he felt when being rejected from the care he deserved.