PART 1PRINCIPLES
Establishing whether a person has capacity
Compliance with section 1(2)6
(1)
In proceedings under this Act or any other statutory provision, any question whether a person who is 16 or over lacks capacity in relation to a matter (within the meaning of this Act) is to be decided on the balance of probabilities.
(2)
Subsection (3) applies where, other than in such proceedings, it falls to a person to determine for any purpose of this Act whether another person who is 16 or over (“P”) lacks capacity in relation to a matter.
(3)
If—
(a)
the person making the determination has taken reasonable steps to establish whether P lacks capacity in relation to the matter,
(b)
the person reasonably believes that P lacks capacity in relation to the matter, and
(c)
the principles in section 1(3) to (5) and section 5 have been complied with,
for the purposes of section 1(2) the person is to be taken to have sufficiently “established” that P lacks capacity in relation to the matter.
(4)
In this section “proceedings” includes proceedings before a tribunal and proceedings of any panel constituted under Schedule 1 or 3.