Lucy Series
@thesmallplaces.bsky.social
Associate Professor of Social Care Law and Policy, University of Bristol, School for Policy Studies. Socio-legal research on: disability, legal capacity, human rights, sovereignty, governmentality and other stuff. Small Places Blog.
I just discovered that in Harvard citation you *don't* italicise the case names, but you *do* italicise the statutes. This feels as wrong as going to work in your pyjamas! I don't love Oscola, but apparently, bits of it, I do.
November 13, 2025 at 12:46 PM
I just discovered that in Harvard citation you *don't* italicise the case names, but you *do* italicise the statutes. This feels as wrong as going to work in your pyjamas! I don't love Oscola, but apparently, bits of it, I do.
Read Simon Cramp's review of Stephen Unwin's book, Beautiful Lives: How we got learning disability so wrong. Thanks Simon! thesmallplaces.wordpress.com/2025/10/22/b...
@sime50.bsky.social @stephenunwin.bsky.social
@sime50.bsky.social @stephenunwin.bsky.social
Book review: Beautiful Lives: How We Got Learning Disabilities So Wrong, by Stephen Unwin
This blog post features a review of this book by learning disability campaigner, Simon Cramp. I will give you the publisher’s description of Stephen Unwin’s book first, and then Simon’s review. Wil…
thesmallplaces.wordpress.com
October 22, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Read Simon Cramp's review of Stephen Unwin's book, Beautiful Lives: How we got learning disability so wrong. Thanks Simon! thesmallplaces.wordpress.com/2025/10/22/b...
@sime50.bsky.social @stephenunwin.bsky.social
@sime50.bsky.social @stephenunwin.bsky.social
I'm somewhat bowled over by this - my book, Deprivation of Liberty in the Shadows of the Institution, won the British Academy Peter Townsend Prize for outstanding work with social policy relevance www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/prizes-medal...
The British Academy Peter Townsend Prize
The Peter Townsend Prize, worth £1,000, is awarded biennially for outstanding work with policy relevance on a topic to which Townsend made a major contribution.
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk
October 17, 2025 at 3:40 PM
I'm somewhat bowled over by this - my book, Deprivation of Liberty in the Shadows of the Institution, won the British Academy Peter Townsend Prize for outstanding work with social policy relevance www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/prizes-medal...
Revisiting Cheshire West - my thoughts on the upcoming Supreme Court case about 'valid consent' and deprivation of liberty thesmallplaces.wordpress.com/2025/09/30/r...
Revisiting Cheshire West
As you may have heard, in October the UK Supreme Court will her a case that will re-open consideration of what it means to be ‘deprived of your liberty’ if you may lack the mental capacity to conse…
thesmallplaces.wordpress.com
September 30, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Revisiting Cheshire West - my thoughts on the upcoming Supreme Court case about 'valid consent' and deprivation of liberty thesmallplaces.wordpress.com/2025/09/30/r...
Revisiting Cheshire West - my thoughts on the upcoming Supreme Court case about 'valid consent' and deprivation of liberty
thesmallplaces.wordpress.com/2025/09/30/r...
thesmallplaces.wordpress.com/2025/09/30/r...
Revisiting Cheshire West
As you may have heard, in October the UK Supreme Court will her a case that will re-open consideration of what it means to be ‘deprived of your liberty’ if you may lack the mental capacity to conse…
thesmallplaces.wordpress.com
September 30, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Revisiting Cheshire West - my thoughts on the upcoming Supreme Court case about 'valid consent' and deprivation of liberty
thesmallplaces.wordpress.com/2025/09/30/r...
thesmallplaces.wordpress.com/2025/09/30/r...
Devastated to hear about Conor Gearty's sudden death. I had the privilege of getting to know him working on statutory amendments to try and ensure the Human Rights Act applies whenever health and social care it outsourced by the state. We'll continue that work in his memory.
September 15, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Devastated to hear about Conor Gearty's sudden death. I had the privilege of getting to know him working on statutory amendments to try and ensure the Human Rights Act applies whenever health and social care it outsourced by the state. We'll continue that work in his memory.
Reposted by Lucy Series
Wonderful tributes from colleagues at Matrix chambers for Professor Conor Gearty.
So shocked Conor Gearty has died
He was a fearless lawyer, teacher and writer
He was also one of the wittiest, smartest people you’d ever meet. It was an honour to call him a friend
I will miss him, terribly. Thoughts with his family, in London and Longford
www.matrixlaw.co.uk/news/profess...
He was a fearless lawyer, teacher and writer
He was also one of the wittiest, smartest people you’d ever meet. It was an honour to call him a friend
I will miss him, terribly. Thoughts with his family, in London and Longford
www.matrixlaw.co.uk/news/profess...
Professor Conor Gearty KC (Hon) - Matrix Chambers
It is with shock and sadness that we mourn the sudden passing of our valued colleague, and a founding member of Matrix, Professor Conor Gearty KC (Hon). Should you wish to leave a message of condolenc...
www.matrixlaw.co.uk
September 12, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Wonderful tributes from colleagues at Matrix chambers for Professor Conor Gearty.
Mental health twitter - here's a totally invalid straw poll. Roughly what proportion of people discharged from detention under the MHA who are technically *eligible* for s117 aftercare actually get it? And roughly how many of these get short-term v long-term support?
August 6, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Mental health twitter - here's a totally invalid straw poll. Roughly what proportion of people discharged from detention under the MHA who are technically *eligible* for s117 aftercare actually get it? And roughly how many of these get short-term v long-term support?
Folks, can anyone point me to any key cases or guidance on the covert administration of medication under a) MCA and b) MHA? I'm struggling to see how it could be lawful under MCA without COP's powers, as you can't really assess capacity without telling someone what you plan to do...
July 15, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Folks, can anyone point me to any key cases or guidance on the covert administration of medication under a) MCA and b) MHA? I'm struggling to see how it could be lawful under MCA without COP's powers, as you can't really assess capacity without telling someone what you plan to do...
I published an article recently, and re-reading it have noticed an embarrassing number of typos crept in. The copy-editing process was super-rushed and I found the publisher's interface really hard on the eyes, and I didn't check as well as I should have done. Is it too late to fix this...?!
July 11, 2025 at 9:18 AM
I published an article recently, and re-reading it have noticed an embarrassing number of typos crept in. The copy-editing process was super-rushed and I found the publisher's interface really hard on the eyes, and I didn't check as well as I should have done. Is it too late to fix this...?!
This article by @johnharris1969.bsky.social on the SEND changes is why I signed the letter. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
July 7, 2025 at 11:50 AM
This article by @johnharris1969.bsky.social on the SEND changes is why I signed the letter. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
I'm trying to calculate how many people (England) are 'informal' (i.e. not detained under the MHA) mental health inpatients. The MHSMS dataset says there are 22,764 people subject to MHA at the moment, and 23,595 in hospital beds. So 96% detained under MHA. Does that sound right to you MH people?
June 20, 2025 at 8:56 AM
I'm trying to calculate how many people (England) are 'informal' (i.e. not detained under the MHA) mental health inpatients. The MHSMS dataset says there are 22,764 people subject to MHA at the moment, and 23,595 in hospital beds. So 96% detained under MHA. Does that sound right to you MH people?
Just reading the GMC guidance, then the NMC guidance, on consent, and really, the NMC guidance is just so scant and rubbish... That really does need addressing.
June 13, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Just reading the GMC guidance, then the NMC guidance, on consent, and really, the NMC guidance is just so scant and rubbish... That really does need addressing.
Very interesting upcoming case from Northern Ireland in UK Supreme Court - about whether a person could be taken to consent to what could otherwise be a 'deprivation of liberty' if it aligns with their wishes and feelings www.supremecourt.uk/cases/uksc-2...
A Reference by the Attorney General of Northern Ireland of a devolution issue under paragraph 1(b) of Schedule 10 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998 - UK Supreme Court
“Whether the Minister of Health has power to revise the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards Code of Practice issued under s.288 of the Mental Capacity Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 (‘the 2016 Act’) so as ...
www.supremecourt.uk
June 12, 2025 at 11:54 AM
Very interesting upcoming case from Northern Ireland in UK Supreme Court - about whether a person could be taken to consent to what could otherwise be a 'deprivation of liberty' if it aligns with their wishes and feelings www.supremecourt.uk/cases/uksc-2...
Reposted by Lucy Series
Intersections of Sociology with Crip Theory and Critical Disability Studies and Mad Studies
Tickets are here!!! 📣
📆 June 11th
⏰️ 9.30 - 4.30
💵 Free
3 amazing sessions, 2 unmissable keynote speakers, 1 amazing creative workshop, 2 BSL interpreters... #MadCrip
www.britsoc.co.uk/events/key-b...
Tickets are here!!! 📣
📆 June 11th
⏰️ 9.30 - 4.30
💵 Free
3 amazing sessions, 2 unmissable keynote speakers, 1 amazing creative workshop, 2 BSL interpreters... #MadCrip
www.britsoc.co.uk/events/key-b...
May 20, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Intersections of Sociology with Crip Theory and Critical Disability Studies and Mad Studies
Tickets are here!!! 📣
📆 June 11th
⏰️ 9.30 - 4.30
💵 Free
3 amazing sessions, 2 unmissable keynote speakers, 1 amazing creative workshop, 2 BSL interpreters... #MadCrip
www.britsoc.co.uk/events/key-b...
Tickets are here!!! 📣
📆 June 11th
⏰️ 9.30 - 4.30
💵 Free
3 amazing sessions, 2 unmissable keynote speakers, 1 amazing creative workshop, 2 BSL interpreters... #MadCrip
www.britsoc.co.uk/events/key-b...
'Something has gone very wrong' how civil servants at DWP and governments ignored warnings over the carers scandal
www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...
www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...
‘Something has gone very wrong’: how the carers scandal was exposed
A Guardian investigation revealed how hundreds of thousands of people were plunged into debt – and some criminalised – for looking after their loved ones
www.theguardian.com
May 24, 2025 at 4:55 PM
'Something has gone very wrong' how civil servants at DWP and governments ignored warnings over the carers scandal
www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...
www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...
Fantastic to see CQC and so many NGOs supporting the Sammut amendment to ensure the Human Rights Act applies directly to private providers if mental health services are outsourced committees.parliament.uk/publications... It would be good to extend this protection for children's social care as well
committees.parliament.uk
May 20, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Fantastic to see CQC and so many NGOs supporting the Sammut amendment to ensure the Human Rights Act applies directly to private providers if mental health services are outsourced committees.parliament.uk/publications... It would be good to extend this protection for children's social care as well
The Mental Health Bill 2024-25 is now in the House of Commons. Here's last night's debate at Second Reading hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025... (Much less emphasis on disability rights than in the House of Lords, I notice)
Mental Health Bill [Lords] - Hansard - UK Parliament
Hansard record of the item : ' Mental Health Bill [Lords]' on Monday 19 May 2025.
hansard.parliament.uk
May 20, 2025 at 9:18 AM
The Mental Health Bill 2024-25 is now in the House of Commons. Here's last night's debate at Second Reading hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025... (Much less emphasis on disability rights than in the House of Lords, I notice)
Rumours on school WhatsApp group that the government is considering changing parts of the Children and Families Act 2014, which supports SEND children with more complex needs in schools. Anyone know anything about this? Here's a petition petition.parliament.uk/petitions/71... @johnpring.bsky.social
petition.parliament.uk
May 16, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Rumours on school WhatsApp group that the government is considering changing parts of the Children and Families Act 2014, which supports SEND children with more complex needs in schools. Anyone know anything about this? Here's a petition petition.parliament.uk/petitions/71... @johnpring.bsky.social
Supported decision-making is back! Thanks to recent proposals by the Law Commission thesmallplaces.wordpress.com/2025/05/16/s...
Supported decision-making is back on the table! Thanks (again) to the Law Commission
Supported decision-making has a long and proud history in the UK. You could probably take this history back further, but in around the 1970s a small organisation called the ‘Campaign for Ment…
thesmallplaces.wordpress.com
May 16, 2025 at 11:44 AM
Supported decision-making is back! Thanks to recent proposals by the Law Commission thesmallplaces.wordpress.com/2025/05/16/s...
This, by @jdportes.bsky.social is so worth reading on the incoherent and mean-spiritedness of the white paper. Excellent point that if they want to increase pay in the care sector they'll need to find the money - at the moment there are no signs of that.
"The government's argument sounds plausible. There's just one problem. It doesn't fit the facts. And the government knows it."
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
There’s only one problem with Labour’s immigration plans: they’re completely untethered from reality | Jonathan Portes
The government’s new policy will take us back to an uglier, more dangerous place – and it’s not even supported by the data, says professor of public policy Jonathan Portes
www.theguardian.com
May 13, 2025 at 2:36 PM
This, by @jdportes.bsky.social is so worth reading on the incoherent and mean-spiritedness of the white paper. Excellent point that if they want to increase pay in the care sector they'll need to find the money - at the moment there are no signs of that.
Reposted by Lucy Series
"The government's argument sounds plausible. There's just one problem. It doesn't fit the facts. And the government knows it."
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
There’s only one problem with Labour’s immigration plans: they’re completely untethered from reality | Jonathan Portes
The government’s new policy will take us back to an uglier, more dangerous place – and it’s not even supported by the data, says professor of public policy Jonathan Portes
www.theguardian.com
May 13, 2025 at 2:01 PM
"The government's argument sounds plausible. There's just one problem. It doesn't fit the facts. And the government knows it."
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Lucy Series
There's been a lot of talk about tariffs this year. Is the UK government the only one that is looking to effectively impose one on one of its own biggest exports?
International student levy branded ‘self-imposed tariff on UK exports’.
Government plan would deepen “financial precarity” for universities and risk deterring students, experts warn.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...
Government plan would deepen “financial precarity” for universities and risk deterring students, experts warn.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...
May 13, 2025 at 6:07 AM
There's been a lot of talk about tariffs this year. Is the UK government the only one that is looking to effectively impose one on one of its own biggest exports?
If (when) a UK university does completely collapse, there will be weeks of news coverage of distressed students who don't know where or how they can complete degrees they have paid for, tricky questions about students' housing contracts, terrible impacts on local and national local economy etc...
May 13, 2025 at 2:21 PM
If (when) a UK university does completely collapse, there will be weeks of news coverage of distressed students who don't know where or how they can complete degrees they have paid for, tricky questions about students' housing contracts, terrible impacts on local and national local economy etc...
Reposted by Lucy Series
Blackstone:
"Of great importance to the public is the preservation of this personal liberty; for if once it were left in the power of any the highest magistrate to imprison arbitrarily whomever he or his officers thought proper... there would soon be an end of all other rights and immunities."
"Of great importance to the public is the preservation of this personal liberty; for if once it were left in the power of any the highest magistrate to imprison arbitrarily whomever he or his officers thought proper... there would soon be an end of all other rights and immunities."
When even the most ancient and quintessential of rights - habeas corpus - is defined as a 'privilege', that should be suspended to facilitate mass deportations, shouldn't even libertarians and conservatives be worried? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
What is habeas corpus and why might Donald Trump want to suspend it?
It is a safeguard against unlawful imprisonment - but the White House is
www.bbc.co.uk
May 13, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Blackstone:
"Of great importance to the public is the preservation of this personal liberty; for if once it were left in the power of any the highest magistrate to imprison arbitrarily whomever he or his officers thought proper... there would soon be an end of all other rights and immunities."
"Of great importance to the public is the preservation of this personal liberty; for if once it were left in the power of any the highest magistrate to imprison arbitrarily whomever he or his officers thought proper... there would soon be an end of all other rights and immunities."