This unique book by the British Medical Association and the Law Society provides doctors, lawyers, and other health and social care professionals with practical guidelines and clarification of the law relating to all areas where an assessment of mental capacity may be needed. Now completely revised to take account of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, the Code of Practice, and recent decisions by the courts, this practical book: outlines the principles and concepts underpinning the Act; explains the statutory definition of mental capacity; examines the tests of capacity governed by the Act and outside the scope of the Act which apply to various decisions and activities; discusses how the courts have interpreted issues relating to capacity; reviews the available guidance for the health and legal professions; and aids communication and common understanding between professions. It will provide an indispensable tool for the health and legal professions and an essential source of guidelines and information, including extracts from the Act and the Code of Practice.