Autistic Pianist: First Publicly Heard Case in London

Until May 13th, all cases heard by the Court of Protection in London were automatically heard in private. This Court has so far taken temporary control of £3.2bn of assets belonging to people lacking the mental capacity to make financial decisions, and the lack of transparency in the system gave rise to thousands of complaints. The Independent filed and won a test case by claiming that there was a strong public interest in ensuring that the mentally incompetent receive justice. The Court of Appeal affirmed, granting journalists access to hearings but allowing judges to retain the power to decide whether or not details could be reported to the public.

On May 13th, the first case was heard in public in Court 43 of the Royal Courts of Justice in central London. The case involved a dispute over the guardianship of Derek Paravicini, a blind and severely autistic piano savant on the brink of a potentially lucrative music career. In a fight between Derek’s family and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) who run Derek’s residential home, the Court appointed Derek’s family as “deputies” or guardians of Derek’s personal and financial affairs.

See Cahal Milmo, Secret Court Open to Public Gaze After Independent Campaign, The Independent, May 14, 2010.    

Special thanks to Joel Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.