Oliver Lewis

On 2 February 2026, an inquest jury in Horsham found that multiple failings in mental health care contributed to the death of 16-year-old Ellame Ford-Dunn on 20 March 2022.

Read more: www.doughtystreet.co.uk/news/risk-te...

UK Supreme Court hears disability rights case It is permissible under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) for the law to say that a person who lacks capacity to consent to their care arrangements can nevertheless give valid consent

UK Supreme Court hears disability rights case - the judgment, expected to be handed down next year, has UK-wide implications for people with learning disabilities, brain injury or dementia, mental health problems, and autistic people.

@droliverlewis.bsky.social was instructed by Irwin Mitchell.

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I'm doing a remote talk with the lovely people at Thalamos at 12:30pm today Monday (22 Sept) to support NHS leaders to prepare for when the Mental Health Bill becomes law. Sign up here: events.teams.microsoft.com/event/a6127d...

Baby Z sadly died last week after life-sustaining treatment was withdrawn. Asma Nizami and I represented the baby’s lovely parents before Theis J in the Family Division, instructed by Irwin Mitchell www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWH...

Court of Protection removes barriers for anorexic woman to receive life-saving treatment London, 31 July 2025.

𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗰 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲-𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 - @droliverlewis.bsky.social represented the family on a direct access and pro bono basis, spending over 150 hours on the case since March 2025.

Mental Health Bill – the Joint Committee on Human Rights speaks Today, 19 May 2025, the UK Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights published its report on the Ment

Today, 19 May 2025, the UK Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights published its report on the Mental Health Bill. Our Ulele Burnham gave oral evidence to the committee and Oliver Lewis (@droliverlewis.bsky.social) provided evidence in written submissions.

A Deep Dive into the Mental Health Bill 2024 – Autism and Learning Disability (via Passle) On 4 March 2025, Dr Oliver Lewis held the third seminar in Doughty Street Chambers’ series about the Mental Health Bill 2024 (‘the Bill’), as amended. H...

Lovely write-up by @jordan-briggs.bsky.social of our recent event on autism and learning disability in the #MHBill. With @rightfullives.bsky.social @aquinnunbroken.bsky.social
@lisaperry.bsky.social @doughtystreet.bsky.social insights.doughtystreet.co.uk/post/102k68x...

I’ve done over 100 hours of pro bono work over the last 3 weeks, including 7 hearings. I could not have done so without the fantastic work of my pupil @jordan-briggs.bsky.social who will be on his feet from 1 April. Fyi @doughtystreet.bsky.social @openjusticecop.bsky.social

NHS refuses to force-feed anorexic woman at ‘imminent’ risk of death Family of 25-year-old ‘finds it strange that NHS has chance to save her life but is refusing to take it’, court told

“It is far too early to let this 25-year-old woman die when medical treatment is available that could prevent her death.”

I’m representing the extraordinary family of an anorexic & autistic woman who now weighs 19kg.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03...

I’m in Geneva today, and presented on behalf of @inclusionintl.bsky.social at the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’ day of discussion on the right to political participation. www.doughtystreet.co.uk/news/oliver-... @doughtystreet.bsky.social

A deep dive into the Mental Health Bill 2024 - Autism and learning disability YouTube video by Doughty Street Chambers

Here’s the video recording of our webinar last week on autism, learning disability and the #MentalHealthBill. Thanks to all who spoke and watched! youtu.be/oM53rBKkLEM @rightfullives.bsky.social @learningdisability.bsky.social

A wonderful evening hosted by @doughtystreet.bsky.social on the impact of the forthcoming Mental Health Bill. What happens with the removal of learning disability & autism when there’s no community provision?

Participants may be interested in my written evidence to the UK Parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights
committees.parliament.uk/writtenevide...

A deep dive into the Mental Health Bill 2024 A deep dive into the Mental Health Bill 2024Detention and treatmentThursday 27th February 2025 | 18:00 - 19:30Location: Online via ZoomIn the second webinar of this series Sophy Miles and Elizabeth Cl...

😃With @rightfullives.bsky.social, I'm co-organising an event about learning disability, autism and the #MHBill
📢 Fab speakers, all have experience of MHA detention
📅 Tues 4 March at 6pm
📍At @doughtystreet.bsky.social and on Zoom
Register here www.doughtystreet.co.uk/event/deep-d...

UK Parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights has published my written evidence on the Mental Health Bill. l suggested amendments that would advance the rights of persons with learning disabilities and/or autism #MHBill https://buff.ly/4hHhfBL

UK Parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights has published my written evidence on the Mental Health Bill. l suggested amendments that would advance the rights of persons with learning disabilities and/or autism #MHBill https://buff.ly/4hHhfBL

Children ‘at risk of harm’ in SEND schools charging taxpayer fees of up to £116k Chaotic behaviour, pupil distress and injured staff found by Ofsted in private SEND schools run by Witherslack, as parents consider legal action over use of restraint

Private schools receiving millions of pounds of taxpayer cash to educate children with special needs have used excessive restraint on pupils and failed to manage their behaviour, leaving them “at risk of harm”, The i Paper can reveal. #RestraintForRevenue inews.co.uk/news/educati...

Four years ago, when she was a solicitor at Bindmans, the amazing Elizabeth Cleaver instructed me in this case. Since the, Liz has transferred to the Bar and is now a valued barrister colleague at
@doughtystreet.bsky.social #DreamTeam 4/4

It was a huge privilege to act for AP's magnificent mother and litigation friend Lisa Perry. I was led by
@jamieburton29.bsky.social KC and we were instructed by Caroline Robinson and Lily Seaborne of @bindmans.com
3/4

A deep dive into the Mental Health Bill 2024 A deep dive into the Mental Health Bill 2024Detention and treatmentThursday 27th February 2025 | 18:00 - 19:30Location: Online via ZoomIn the second webinar of this series Sophy Miles and Elizabeth Cl...

This case is a great illustration of the failure of community support services, and how the #MHBill as currently drafted won't solve the problem at all. Join us for a lively discussion of the issues on 4 March - details here doughtystreet.co.uk/event/deep-d.... 2/4

Justice for AP: Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust pays damages following detention and seclusion of man with learning disabilities and autism for 340 days The High Court has approved the settlement of a civil claim brought by Bindmans client ‘AP’, by which Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust will pay significant damages for the detention and treatment

AP is a lovely young man with learning disabilities and autism. He experienced significant harm while being detained in a "s.136 suite" in a mental health hospital for a whopping 340 days. A Human Rights Act claim has resulted in a settlement. 1/4 www.doughtystreet.co.uk/news/justice...

I realise I'm an outlier barrister in this regard, but I love getting to know my clients.

(Image is AI "barrister on home visit"!!)

Today I went with an instructing solicitor on a home visit to meet my client, a young autistic man with learning disabilities. Through his mum who interpreted his sounds, words and movements, I learned about the way he communicates, about his hobbies and talents, and his wishes and worries.

Coercive control to be put on par with other types of domestic abuse in England and Wales Police and probation services will be legally required to share with one another information that suggests offenders are risk to others

Welcome news. From today, offenders serving a sentence of at least 12 months for controlling or coercive behaviour will be automatically managed under multi-agency public protection arrangements (Mappa)

Trudeau: Canada will retaliate with 25% tariffs on $155B of U.S. goods YouTube video by CBC News

It’s worth watching Trudeau’s excellent speech in full youtu.be/xiaACQpFUfE

ANALYSIS | With its U.S. alliance under pressure, could Canada join the EU? | CBC News Relations between Canada and the U.S. are coming under serious pressure — and that has some commentators offering an unlikely — though not impossible — solution. What if Canada joined the European Uni...

I’m reading a lot more CBC these days, to understand the Canadian take on Trump, and now the bonkers tarrifs. The idea in this article is quite something! www.cbc.ca/news/world/c...

Oliver Lewis and Beth Grossman appear in Court of Appeal on contempt and capacity Oliver Lewis and Beth Grossman appeared in the C

Court of Appeal provides guidance on how an appeal court should proceed if capacity to conduct the appeal is in question www.doughtystreet.co.uk/news/oliver-...

Lovely column by dear Ol!

Thanks to Alison Meacher and Victoria Ward for hosting us, thanks to fellow speakers Nancy Williams and Yogi Amin, and thanks to Angela Jackman KC (Hon) and @jordan-briggs.bsky.social for the pics 😄 #mentalcapacity #humanrights 3/3

It's an area of increasing interest to the Court of Protection (and the High Court exercising its inherent jurisdiction), given the increasing awareness of the myriad ways people can be victims, and an ageing population means these cases will become more common. 2/3