513.Section 53 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (“2005 Act”) sets out the routes of appeal for cases in the Court of Protection. The general position is that appeals from any level of judge of that Court must lie to the Court of Appeal (see section 53(1)). However, section 53(2) provides that rules of court may make provision for appeals from certain levels of judge in the Court of Protection to lie to another judge within that Court.
514.The Crime and Courts Act 2013 added to the categories of judge in section 46 of the 2005 Act who are eligible for nomination to sit in the Court of Protection, but did not expand section 53(2) of the 2005 Act to enable appeals from any of the new categories of judge to lie within the Court of Protection. The result of this is that appeals from decisions of these additional categories of judge lie automatically to the Court of Appeal. This is disproportionate and likely to create additional work for that Court when the new categories of judge are deployed.
515.Section 62 enables rules of court to be made allowing appeals to be heard, where appropriate, within the Court of Protection rather than by the Court of Appeal. The rule-making power at section 53 of the 2005 Act is amended to permit appeals from decisions of any judge sitting in the Court of Protection, or of authorised officers, to lie to a specified description of judge in the Court of Protection. The power is exercisable in relation to further appeals from decisions on appeal by judges.