Balancing Best Interests in Health Care, Ethics and Law (BABEL)

The project explores healthcare decisions that are made in the “best interests” of patients who are unable to make decisions for themselves because they lack (what the law calls) mental capacity or competence.

The patients include children – as poignantly illustrated in the recent, widely-publicised legal case of Charlie Gard – and adults, including those with learning disabilities, dementia or prolonged disorders of consciousness. BABEL asks how the “best interests” of such patients should be understood – which factors and values should be considered, who should be involved, and indeed whether “‘best interests” is even the best approach.