WCAC 2022: Edinburgh hosts the world

The world is coming to Edinburgh for the 7th World Congress on Adult Capacity, at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, from 7-9 June 2022.

This presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Scottish practitioners to attend in their own country – and indeed for only the second time in Europe – the leading global event centred on the subject that we know as adult incapacity law. 

More broadly, the event will provide:

• a focus for developments of human rights-driven provision for people with mental and intellectual disabilities;
• a powerful springboard for future research, reform and practical delivery;
• an opportunity to share and discuss worldwide practical experience and initiatives across the huge range and variety of relevant disabilities, in many cultural settings;
• as the first Congress since the start of the pandemic (the 2020 event having been postponed until 2024), a unique opportunity to consider the impact of the pandemic on human rights across the world;
• for practising lawyers, an essential understanding of the rapidly evolving practicalities, possibilities and expectations that now set the standards of best practice; and
• also for practising lawyers, an enhanced understanding of current law, its proper interpretation, and forthcoming developments.

Certificates for CPD purposes will be provided to all who request them.

Wide-ranging programme

The final report of the Scottish Mental Health Law Review (the Scott review) of mental health and incapacity law has been timed to take full advantage of the interactive ambience of this live event, in which people from all over the world, and from a wide range of backgrounds, can share ideas and experience informally, as well as in formal sessions. 

The event comes at a time when countries worldwide have also been considering further development of their systems, including the ongoing task of giving full effect to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (“CRPD”). CRPD adopts a social/human rights approach to disability. It gives impetus to the continuing movement away from predominantly medicalising the care and treatment of persons with mental and intellectual disabilities, towards requiring states to remove obstacles to, and to actively support, full rights enjoyment and participation in society by all persons with such disabilities.

As well as an impressive range of prominent national and international speakers for the plenary sessions, the Congress has received well over 100 abstract submissions (several of them multiple submissions by teams) from across the globe, each to be presented personally at the Congress. At the latest count, the event will have speakers (many of them recognised international experts) from 26 countries – 38 if states and provinces are counted separately – across five continents. In a range of parallel sessions, you will hear their views and have opportunities to discuss, question, and explore the strengths and any challenges of their ideas, existing systems, and proposals. You will have time to chat and to glean ideas, from like-minded colleagues across the world who often face similar challenges to those for us in Scotland.

Book now

For details of the event, see the website, and follow it from now on as the outline programme is filled in with speakers and particular topics, as well as the “Congress Themes” already to be found under “Abstract Submission”. You will see that the emphasis is on continuing and developing ways to give effect to the paradigm cultural shift required by CRPD, away from systems which emphasise safeguards against unjustified intrusions in the lives of persons with mental disabilities, towards developing ever better ways of actively supporting and protecting the exercise of legal capacity to ensure individual autonomy on an equal basis with others. 

Interest has already been expressed from international attendees in the legal, social, health, and academic sectors, as well as from people with lived experience and their carers.

To avoid missing out on this excellent local opportunity to attend a major world congress in person, early booking is advised. Secure your place at www.wcac2022.org