Jenni Richards QC wins landmark human rights case in the Supreme Court

News8th February 2012

Jenni Richards QC acted for the parents of a young woman who took her own life after being allowed home leave from a psychiatric unit. The parents have today won a landmark human rights victory in the Supreme Court after a six-year battle through the courts.

The ruling, which was unanimous, means that psychiatric patients at risk will be entitled to the same level of protection whether they are formally detained under the Mental Health Act or not; and the parents of adult children who have died as a result of a failure protect to them in such circumstances will now, for the first time, be entitled to compensation under the Human Rights Act (HRA).

Please see link below to the Supreme Court press summary and judgment:

http://www.supremecourt.gov.uk/docs/UKSC_2010_0154_ps.pdf

http://www.supremecourt.gov.uk/docs/UKSC_2010_0154_Judgment.pdf