Competency and capacity: The legal and medical interface

Abstract

The loss of legal competency, in the context of wills, enduring powers of attorney and advance directives, presents a challenge to individual autonomy. Both legal and medical practitioners have roles to play in determining when, and if, to infringe upon a person's sovereignty in order to provide for their protection. However, there is some evidence that inter-professional discussions are characterised by tension. Medical expertise is necessary to assess physical and mental capacity, but the legal concern is with competency, two distinct terms. It is argued here that cooperation between the legal and medical professions is essential in this area of practice. This article attempts to promote discussion of this objective by proposing therapeutic jurisprudence as a theoretical framework in which to reassess competency determinations, by reviewing the institutional structure and by suggesting the adoption of a common and consistent terminology is essential.