Session Outline

The presentation will analyse, and explore the clinical implications of, two recent significant court cases: A Reference by Attorney General for Northern Ireland (AGNI) [2026] UKSC 16 and Townsend v Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust [2026] EWCA Civ 195.

AGNI has radically changed the application of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS) by invalidating the previously leading case of Cheshire West, creating a whole new legal test and approach to DOLS. Meanwhile Townsend has changed how we need to approach making best interest decisions and highlights a fundamental clash in medical law, presenting a challenge and also an opportunity to think about a more effective clinical decision-making framework.

Speaker – Dr Christopher Nobbs

Dr Christopher Nobbs is a Palliative Medicine Consultant working mainly on the inpatient unit at Meadow House Hospice in London. Chris has a strong interest in medical ethics and law and how they interact at the bedside. He has completed an intercalated BSc in Medical Ethics and Law from Manchester University and an MA from King’s College London and uses his knowledge frequently in his clinical practice. He has presented on Probability Potentiality and Townsend at recent national Institute of Medical Ethics Conferences.

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