More than two years ago, on 19 March 2014, the Supreme Court gave its judgment in the case commonly known as Cheshire West, setting out what constituted a deprivation of liberty. (P v Cheshire West & Chester Council and another; P and Q v Surrey County Council, [2014] UKSC19). Local authorities are still dealing with the ramifications.

Sir James Munby, president of the family division of the High Court, expected a tenfold surge in legal challenges to deprivation of liberty safeguards in the first year after the judgment.