Legal Aid and coronavirus

• LAA coronavirus guidance. Legal Aid Agency, 'Coronavirus (COVID-19): Legal Aid Agency contingency response' (18/3/20) — This LAA web page is the main source of Legal Aid guidance, and contains links to various sub-pages.
• LAA, 'Contingency Measure for Civil Escape Cases - Electronic Submission' (24/3/20)
• LAPG, 'Guidance on what the Legal Aid Contract and LAA COVID-19 Guidance Allows' (25/3/20)
• Law Society, 'Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice and updates' (19/3/20)
• Bar Council, 'Coronavirus advice and updates' (March 2020, updated periodically)
• Bar Council, 'Chair of the Bar sets out concerns to MoJ, HMCTS, the Legal Aid Agency, the senior judiciary, the Bar Standards Board and the Inns of Court' (18/3/20)

See also

• Main page.

INFORMATION

• Representation
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  • Section 36: Remand of accused person to hospital for treatment
  • Section 37: guardianship order
  • Section 43: committal by magistrates for restriction order
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• Changes made by MHA 2007
  • 16- or 17-year-old with capacity cannot be detained on basis of parental consent
  • Abnormally aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct is only a consideration for learning disability (not personality disorder)
  • Additional safeguards for ECT introduced in new s58A
  • Appropriate treatment test replaces treatability test and applies to all patients under long-term detention
  • Approved Mental Health Professional replaces Approved Social Worker
  • Automatic reference scheme under s68 changed
  • Bournewood gap bridged by Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards inserted into MCA 2005
  • Civil partners are treated as if married when determining nearest relative
  • Conditionally-discharged hospital direction patients can be absolutely discharged by MHRT
  • Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act 2004 applies to unrestricted criminal patients
  • Fundamental principles set out in Act and included in Code of Practice
  • Higher penalties for offences under Act
  • Hospital direction patients can no longer apply to Tribunal during first six months
  • Hospital directions under s45A apply to any mental disorder
  • Legal status of Code of Practice set out in Act
  • Limitation to the exceptions to the duty to instruct IMCA
  • Mental disorder no longer split into separate classifications
  • Minor drafting error in MCA 2005 corrected
  • New cross-border arrangements for leave and transfer
  • New definition of medical treatment
  • New Independent Mental Health Advocate scheme
  • New procedure for renewal of detention
  • New regulations on conflicts of interest
  • New requirements for age-appropriate accommodation for children
  • NHS Foundation Trusts discharge power problem remedied
  • Organisation of Mental Health Review Tribunal changed
  • Patient can apply to displace nearest relative, who can now be displaced on grounds of unsuitability
  • Patients can be transferred between places of safety under s135 and s136
  • Procedure for making of instruments by Welsh Ministers set out
  • Reference to Local Health Boards inserted into Act
  • Responsible Clinician/Approved Clinician replaces Responsible Medical Officer
  • Restriction orders can no longer be time-limited
  • SOAD certificate becomes invalid when patient loses or gains capacity
  • Some exclusions to definition of mental disorder have been removed
  • Supervised Community Treatment replaces Supervised Discharge
  • Transitional provisions until full implementation of MHA 2007
  • Treatment while under SCT is covered by new Part 4A
• Coronavirus
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• Coronavirus
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What links here:

• Legal Aid Agency, 'Coronavirus (COVID-19): Legal Aid Agency contingency response' (18/3/20)
• Bar Council, 'Chair of the Bar sets out concerns to MoJ, HMCTS, the Legal Aid Agency, the senior judiciary, the Bar Standards Board and the Inns of Court' (18/3/20)
• Bar Council, 'Coronavirus advice and updates' (March 2020, updated periodically)
• Law Society, 'Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice and updates' (19/3/20)
• LAA, 'Contingency Measure for Civil Escape Cases - Electronic Submission' (24/3/20)
• LAPG, 'Guidance on what the Legal Aid Contract and LAA COVID-19 Guidance Allows' (25/3/20)
• Legal Aid Agency, 'Coronavirus (COVID-19): remote working' (14/4/20)
• Legal Aid Agency, 'Coronavirus (COVID-19): working with clients' (14/4/20)
• Legal Aid Agency, 'Coronavirus (COVID-19): contract management and assurance' (14/4/20)
• Legal Aid Agency, 'Civil news: fee rules change for mental health remote hearings' (16/7/20)