AR & Ors, Re
| Court | Court of Protection |
| Judgment Date | 30 September 2026 |
| Neutral Citation | [2026] EWCOP 47 (T2) |
| Date | 30 September 2026 |
| Year | 2026 |
IMPORTANT NOTICE
This judgment is covered by the terms of an order made pursuant to Practice Direction 4C –
Transparency. It may be published on condition that the anonymity of the subject persons and their
families must be strictly preserved. Failure to comply with that condition may warrant punishment as a
contempt of court.
NCN: [2026] EWCOP 47 (T2)
COURT OF PROTECTION CASE Nos 2001959301, 2002806301, 2001961201
MENTAL CAPACITY ACT 2005
By Her Honour Judge Hilder
First Avenue House
42-49 High Holborn,
London, WC1V 6NP
Date: 30 th
September 2026
IN THE MATTERS OF
AR, HR and MH
________________________________
HEARING: 24th and 25th June 2026
_________________________________
Ms. Marisa Lloyd (instructed by The Public Guardian) for the Applicant
Robert Cornford appeared in person
This hearing was conducted in public subject to transparency orders made separately in each
case on 14th February 2026. The judgment was formally handed down on 30th September 2026,
the parties having been excused attendance from that hearing. It consists of 26 pages, and has
been signed and dated by the judge.
The number in square brackets and bold typeface refer to pages of the bundle filed for the final
hearing listed on 24th, 25th and 26th June 2026. Where the number is preceded by ‘A’, it refers to
the page of the authorities bundle filed by the Public Guardian.
JUDGMENT
A. The Issue
1. The Public Guardian has applied for determination of whether lasting powers of attorney
granted by AR, HR and MH are valid. If the instruments are determined not to have been
validly executed, the Public Guardian seeks an order directing cancellation of their
registration.
2. The linking factor between the instruments is that Robert Cornford acted as certificate
provider. The Public Guardian has concerns that:
a. Robert Cornford is not a person competent to act as certificate provider;
b. Robert Cornford did not actually satisfy himself of matters about which a
certificate provider is required to satisfy themselves; and
c. the process of execution of the instruments did not comply with legal
requirements.
3. The Public Guardian has informed Mr. Cornford and the Court that the current three cases
are ‘test’ cases, with a further 24 matters ‘on hold’ pending the outcome of these
proceedings [67].
B. Matters considered
4. I have considered all matters filed in a composite bundle for the hearing listed on 24 th,
25th and 26th June 2026, including:
a. for the Public Guardian :
i. statements by Matthew McQuade dated 10th July 2025 [in respect of AR
at 64, in respect of HR at 249, in respect of MH at 419], 7th October 2025
[169], 13th October 2025 [574], 3rd November 2025 [589], 26th
November 2025 [176], 26th March 2026 [351/351], 22nd May 2026 [670]
ii. statement by AR and HR together dated 10th May 2026 [194/ 360]
iii. statement by JA dated 18th May 2026 [601]
iv. statement by EH dated 18th May 2026 [608]
v. skeleton arguments dated 18th and 25th June 2026.
b. for Robert Cornford :
i. statements by Robert Cornford dated 17th October 2025 [583], 5th
December 2025 [184], 12th May 2026 [198/365/595], 12th May 2026
[664];
ii. a statement by Peter Holmes dated 17th May 2026.
5. I heard oral evidence from AR, from EH and JA (both daughters of MH), and also from
Robert Cornford.
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