The initial impact of Covid-19 on mental health law in Northern Ireland

This article summarises the temporary modifications to the mental health and mental capacity law in Northern Ireland made by the Coronavirus Act 2020. These changes were intended to ensure that appropriate human rights safeguards could still be in place even if there was a dramatic reduction in the availability of staff. The context of COVID-19 also created additional complexities for how these assessments were conducted. It is concluded that it is reassuring that modifications were made quickly in response to immediate concerns and that these were only in place for as long as they were needed. It is also concerning that such changes to safeguards were made so quickly and there is perhaps an opportunity to consider how such a process, if needed again, should be conducted.