Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000
| Year | 2000 |
Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000
asp 4
[9th May 2000]
The Bill for this Act of the Scottish Parliament was passed by the Parliament on 29th March 2000 and received Royal Assent onAn Act of the Scottish Parliament to make provision as to the property, financial affairs and personal welfare of adults who are incapable by reason of mental disorder or inability to communicate; and for connected purposes.
Part 1
General
General
1 General principles and fundamental definitions
(1) The principles set out in subsections (2) to (4) shall be given effect to in relation to any intervention in the affairs of an adult under or in pursuance of this Act, including any order made in or for the purpose of any proceedings under this Act for or in connection with an adult.
(2) There shall be no intervention in the affairs of an adult unless the person responsible for authorising or effecting the intervention is satisfied that the intervention will benefit the adult and that such benefit cannot reasonably be achieved without the intervention.
(3) Where it is determined that an intervention as mentioned in subsection (1) is to be made, such intervention shall be the least restrictive option in relation to the freedom of the adult, consistent with the purpose of the intervention.
(4) In determining if an intervention is to be made and, if so, what intervention is to be made, account shall be taken of—
(a) the present and past wishes and feelings of the adult so far as they can be ascertained by any means of communication, whether human or by mechanical aid (whether of an interpretative nature or otherwise) appropriate to the adult;
(b) the views of the nearest relative and the primary carer of the adult, in so far as it is reasonable and practicable to do so;
(c) the views of—
(i) any guardian, continuing attorney or welfare attorney of the adult who has powers relating to the proposed intervention; and
(ii) any person whom the sheriff has directed to be consulted,
in so far as it is reasonable and practicable to do so; and
(d) the views of any other person appearing to the person responsible for authorising or effecting the intervention to have an interest in the welfare of the adult or in the proposed intervention, where these views have been made known to the person responsible, in so far as it is reasonable and practicable to do so.
(5) Any guardian, continuing attorney, welfare attorney or manager of an establishment exercising functions under this Act or under any order of the sheriff in relation to an adult shall, in so far as it is reasonable and practicable to do so, encourage the adult to exercise whatever skills he has concerning his property, financial affairs or personal welfare, as the case may be, and to develop new such skills.
(6) For the purposes of this Act, and unless the context otherwise requires—
‘adult’ means a person who has attained the age of 16 years;
‘incapable’ means incapable of—
(a) acting; or
(b) making decisions; or
(c) communicating decisions; or
(d) understanding decisions; or
(e) retaining the memory of decisions,
as mentioned in any provision of this Act, by reason of mental disorder or of inability to communicate because of physical disability; but a person shall not fall within this definition by reason only of a lack or deficiency in a faculty of communication if that lack or deficiency can be made good by human or mechanical aid (whether of an interpretative nature or otherwise); and
‘incapacity’ shall be construed accordingly.
(7) In subsection (4)(c)(i) any reference to—
(a) a guardian shall include a reference to a guardian (however called) appointed under the law of any country to, or entitled under the law of any country to act for, an adult during his incapacity, if the guardianship is recognised by the law of Scotland;
(b) a continuing attorney shall include a reference to a person granted, under a contract, grant or appointment governed by the law of any country, powers (however expressed), relating to the granter's property or financial affairs and having continuing effect notwithstanding the granter's incapacity;
(c) a welfare attorney shall include a reference to a person granted, under a contract, grant or appointment governed by the law of any country, powers (however expressed) relating to the granter's personal welfare and having effect during the granter's incapacity.
Judicial proceedings
2 Applications and other proceedings and appeals
(1) This section shall apply for the purposes of any application which may be made to and any other proceedings before the sheriff under this Act.
(2) An application to the sheriff under this Act shall be made by summary application.
(3) Unless otherwise expressly provided for, any decision of the sheriff at first instance in any application to, or in any other proceedings before, him under this Act may be appealed to the sheriff principal, and the decision upon such appeal of the sheriff principal may be appealed, with the leave of the sheriff principal, to the Court of Session.
(4) Rules made under section 32 of the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1971 (c.58) may make provision as to the evidence which the sheriff shall take into account when deciding whether to give a direction under section 11(1).
3 Powers of sheriff
(1) In an application or any other proceedings under this Act, the sheriff may make such consequential or ancillary order, provision or direction as he considers appropriate.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) or to any other powers conferred by this Act, the sheriff may—
(a) make any order granted by him subject to such conditions and restrictions as appear to him to be appropriate;
(b) order that any reports relating to the person who is the subject of the application or proceedings be lodged with the court or that the person be assessed or interviewed and that a report of such assessment or interview be lodged;
(c) make such further inquiry or call for such further information as appears to him to be appropriate;
(d) make such interim order as appears to him to be appropriate pending the disposal of the application or proceedings.
(3) On an application by any person (including the adult himself) claiming an interest in the property, financial affairs or personal welfare of an adult, the sheriff may give such directions to any person exercising—
(a) functions conferred by this Act; or
(b) functions of a like nature conferred by the law of any country,
as to the exercise of those functions and the taking of decisions or action in relation to the adult as appear to him to be appropriate.
(4) In an application or any other proceedings under this Act, the sheriff—
(a) shall consider whether it is necessary to appoint a person for the purpose of safeguarding the interests of the person who is the subject of the application or proceedings; and
(b) without prejudice to any existing power to appoint a person to represent the interests of the person who is the subject of the application or proceedings may, if he thinks fit, appoint a person to act for the purpose specified in paragraph (a).
(5) Safeguarding the interests of a person shall, for the purposes of subsection (4), include conveying his views so far as they are ascertainable to the sheriff; but if the sheriff considers that it is inappropriate that a person appointed to safeguard the interests of another under this section should also convey that other's views to the sheriff, the sheriff may appoint another person for that latter purpose only.
(6) The sheriff may, on an application by—
(a) the person authorised under the order;
(b) the adult; or
(c) any person entitled to apply for the order,
make an order varying the terms of an order granted under subsection (2)(a).
4 Power of Court of Session or sheriff with regard to nearest relative
4 Power of Court of Session or sheriff with regard to nearest relative
(1) On an application by an adult, the court may, having regard to section 1 and being satisfied that to do so will benefit the adult, make an order that—
(a) certain information shall not be disclosed, or intimation of certain applications shall not be given, to the nearest relative of the adult;
(b) the functions of the nearest relative of the adult shall, during the continuance in force of the order, be exercised by a person, specified in the application, who is not the nearest relative of the adult but who—
(i) is a person who would otherwise be entitled to be the nearest relative in terms of this Act;
(ii) in the opinion of the court is a proper person to act as the nearest relative; and
(iii) is willing to so act; or
(c) no person shall, during the continuance in force of the order, exercise the functions of the nearest relative.
(2) An order made under subsection (1) shall apply only to the exercise of the functions under this Act of the nearest relative.
(3) The court may, on an application by an adult, make an order varying the terms of an order granted under subsection (1).
(4) No application shall be made under this section by an adult who is not incapable within the meaning of this Act at the time of making the application.
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