The number of orders made for deprivation of liberty has almost doubled over the past year, according to the latest court statistics covering January to March 2017.

547 orders were made in that period compared with 292 for the same quarter in 2016.  Applications were similarly up, rising 43% to 969.

The figures also show that there were 186,169 Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) received, up 31% and 3,399 Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPAs) in January to March 2017, down 3% on the equivalent quarter in 2016.

We have extracted the relevant pages as a pdf that you can download below or read the full Family Court statistics on the HMCTS website. 

​Application for permission to remove transplantable material for the purpose of transplantation. The application was refused.

The court concluded that the Respondent Patient lacked capacity to revoke the LPA for property and affairs but that it was not to be reinstated. Instead, a professional deputy with whom the Patient had a good working relationship, was appointed and the court authorised the deputy to sell the Respondent's UK property.

Read the full text of the judgment on Bailii

Public Guardian's application for  the partial revocation of a LPA for property and financial affairs, and the revocation of a LPA for health and welfare.

Read the full text of the judgment on Bailii

The new online LPA application forms and increased publicity has seen the number of LPAs rise by 40% in the last quarter of 2015, according to the latest report published by the Ministry of Justice.

The statistics, buried deep in the report, show that there were 134,363 Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) from October to December 2015, the highest quarterly figure so far. EPAs were down 13% with 3,261 EPAs being registered from October to December 2015.

The report also notes that DOLs applications have trebled in the last year, and following the Supreme Court decision in Cheshire West, with numbers increasing successively from 109 in 2013 to 525 in 2014 to 1,499 in 2015. 489 of those 2015 applications were made between October and December 2015.

Finally of note,  4,353 deputies  were appointed between October and December 2015, an increase of 8% on the equivalent quarter in 2014.

The full report can be downloaded from the Ministry of Justice website here.