At its July 2022 meeting, the Civil Justice Council (CJC) approved the establishment of a working group to study the procedure for assessing mental capacity in civil proceedings. This initiative was prompted by a request from a legal practitioner to the Council. One of the Co-Chairs of the Group was none other than Brunel's Diane Astin (Senior Lecturer - Legal Practice)
Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls, Head of Civil Justice and Chair of the CJC, stated: “I am grateful to co-chairs Diane Astin and Daniel Clarke and their working group for this ground-breaking report. This work goes to the heart of the CJC’s raison d’être. Tackling the issue of mental capacity of litigants in our courts will help make the civil justice system more accessible, fair and efficient."
On November 11, 2024, the Working Group published its final report. The report can be accessed