Local Authority Insight Series - the Liberty Protection Safeguards

Alex Ruck Keane

Alex Ruck Keene is an experienced barrister, writer and educator. His practice is focused on mental capacity and mental health law, in which he is able to provide specialist advice and representation, as well as delivering expert training for front line professionals. He also writes extensively in the field, editing and contributing to leading textbooks and (amongst many other publications) the 39 Essex Chambers Mental Capacity Law Report, the ‘bible’ for solicitors (and others) working in the area. He is the creator of the website http://www.mentalcapacitylawandpolicy.org.uk/, providing resources and expert commentary on some of the most difficult mental capacity issues.

Alex is a Wellcome Research Fellow and Visiting Professor at King’s College London, a Visiting Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London and a Research Affiliate at the Essex Autonomy Project, University of Essex. He spent 2016 on secondment to the Law Commission as a consultant to their Mental Capacity and Deprivation of Liberty Project and throughout 2018 was legal adviser to the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act 1983. He is currently a special adviser to the Joint Committee on Human Rights for their inquiry into the human rights implications of the Government’s response to COVID-19.

Emma Harrison

Emma Harrison is a senior solicitor specialising in Adult Social Care and Court of Protection work at Devon County Council. She has been the national lead officer of the Adult Social Care & Health SAA group for Lawyers in Local Government group (LLG) since 2016.

Emma particularly enjoys advocacy and was awarded Higher Rights – Civil Litigation in January 2018. She also regularly undertakes training for social workers and solicitors in particular focusing on deprivation of liberty for the under 18s.”