Richard Jones, (instructed by Butcher & Barlow) represented the child through their Children’s Guardian in the recently published High Court case, An NHS Trust v ST (Refusal of Deprivation of Liberty Order) [2022] EWHC 719 regarding the deprivation of liberty of a child with an autistic spectrum disorder and learning disability The case was heard by The Honourable Mr Justice MacDonald.

As outlined in the judgment the court is regularly faced with applications under the inherent jurisdiction for declarations authorising the deprivation of liberty of children and young people in circumstances where there is an acute shortage of suitable residential therapeutic placements to meet their needs. But unusually in this case the application was not made by Manchester City Council, the council responsible for the child in question, but rather by the NHS Trust responsible for the hospital ward in which she is currently placed.