Ann Stanyer reviews the impact of the Power of Attorney bill

Since the Mental Capacity Act was introduced in 2005, there have been significant changes in society, digital progress and increased awareness of the need to protect our vulnerable and elderly population. The new Power of Attorney Bill introduced in 2022 as a private members bill had its second reading in the House of Commons in December 2022. It has the support of the Ministry of Justice and if there are no obstructions to the parliamentary timetable, it will likely be approved by both houses in 2023.

Why are changes required now? The years since 2005 have seen a widespread uptake in the numbers of lasting powers of attorney registered at the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG). The OPG itself in its last annual report (2021/2022)...

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