Literature Review on Provision of Appropriate and Accessible ...
Literature Review on Provision of Appropriate and Accessible ...
Literature Review on Provision of Appropriate and Accessible ...
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PAGE 98<br />
a higher degree <strong>of</strong> protecti<strong>on</strong> for potentially vulnerable adults (Evans <strong>and</strong><br />
Rodgers, 2000).<br />
The issue <strong>of</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Literature</str<strong>on</strong>g> how to define <str<strong>on</strong>g>Review</str<strong>on</strong>g> capacity <strong>on</strong> Provisi<strong>on</strong> to c<strong>on</strong>sent <strong>of</strong> <strong>Appropriate</strong> to sexual <strong>and</strong> relati<strong>on</strong>ships<br />
<strong>Accessible</strong><br />
Support to People with an Intellectual Disability who are<br />
was c<strong>on</strong>sidered by the British Medical Associati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> the Law Society<br />
Experiencing Crisis Pregnancy<br />
(BMA <strong>and</strong> the Law Society, 2004). Entering into a pers<strong>on</strong>al relati<strong>on</strong>ship is<br />
a pers<strong>on</strong>al decisi<strong>on</strong>, which does not require any formal c<strong>on</strong>tract or test<br />
<strong>of</strong> capacity. Where the situati<strong>on</strong> arises, the comm<strong>on</strong> law test <strong>of</strong> capacity<br />
to c<strong>on</strong>sent to sexual relati<strong>on</strong>s follows the usual form. This says that the<br />
pers<strong>on</strong> must be able to:<br />
• Underst<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> retain informati<strong>on</strong> about what is proposed <strong>and</strong><br />
its implicati<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
• Exercise choice. (It is important to c<strong>on</strong>sider whether <strong>on</strong>e party is<br />
in a positi<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> power which will influence the ability <strong>of</strong> the other<br />
party to c<strong>on</strong>sent.)<br />
Murphy <strong>and</strong> Clare (2003) note that this implies that at a minimum<br />
people would need to underst<strong>and</strong> what sexual intercourse was <strong>and</strong> that<br />
pregnancy <strong>and</strong>/or sexually transmitted diseases were risks (as well<br />
as being able to make a free choice). The BMA <strong>and</strong> the Law Society<br />
(2004) recognised the importance <strong>of</strong> taking into account the particular<br />
circumstances <strong>of</strong> the individuals involved; for example, whether <strong>on</strong>e<br />
pers<strong>on</strong> is in a positi<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> power, which influences the ability <strong>of</strong> the other<br />
to c<strong>on</strong>sent in an unpressured way.<br />
Murphy <strong>and</strong> Clare (2003) observed that this definiti<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> capacity was not<br />
always accepted in the courts. For example, in <strong>on</strong>e case in Engl<strong>and</strong>, R v<br />
Jenkins, a care worker was acquitted <strong>of</strong> the rape <strong>of</strong> a woman with severe<br />
intellectual disability, despite forensic evidence <strong>of</strong> his guilt, because he<br />
argued that the woman c<strong>on</strong>sented <strong>and</strong> the judge accepted a very low<br />
st<strong>and</strong>ard for c<strong>on</strong>sent (Murphy, 2000). [63] The woman had <strong>on</strong>ly a very<br />
basic underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>of</strong> the names <strong>of</strong> a few body parts <strong>and</strong> unquesti<strong>on</strong>ably<br />
no c<strong>on</strong>cept <strong>of</strong> what sexual intercourse or pregnancy meant (O’Callaghan<br />
<strong>and</strong> Murphy, 2007). This case illustrated the significance <strong>of</strong> the definiti<strong>on</strong><br />
63 The judge ruled that free <strong>and</strong> informed c<strong>on</strong>sent was not necessary (McCarthy <strong>and</strong><br />
Thomps<strong>on</strong> (2004).