13 June 2008
Martin John has been appointed the new Public Guardian and Chief Executive of the Office of the Public Guardian, Justice Minister Bridget Prentice announced today.
Martin John will succeed Richard Brook. Martin has extensive experience of leading the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal and more recently in Business Development for the new Tribunals Service. Although Martin does not formally take up post until Richard leaves on 10 July 2008, he is working alongside Richard, the current postholder, with immediate effect.
Bridget Prentice said:
'Richard Brook made an enormous contribution to implementing the Mental Capacity Act and in setting up the Office of the Public Guardian.
'I am pleased that Martin will now be leading the organisation and continuing with the work to deal with the significant workload at the Office of the Public Guardian.'
Martin John said:
'I am delighted to be appointed as Public Guardian and Chief Executive of the Office of the Public Guardian. Over the coming weeks my priority is to work with staff and stakeholders to ensure customers receive the right services at the right time.
'The Office faces some key challenges in dealing with the processing of Lasting Powers of Attorney and extra resources have been brought in to tackle the delays and we are already seeing improvements.
'Over the longer term, I will be reviewing how well the Office and the Mental Capacity Act are working overall and we will be engaging closely with customers and stakeholders on this.'
Notes for editors
1. The Office of the Public Guardian was launched in October 2007, as a result of the implementation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. The Act was endorsed by many mental health and older people charities and groups and covers decision-making for people who may lack the ability to make decisions for themselves. It provides protection for some of the most vulnerable people in society and provides a clear legal framework within which care, support and medical treatment can be provided for people who lack capacity.
2. The Act also offers people the option to plan ahead for a time when they may not be able to make decisions by making a Lasting Power of Attorney, which replaced the previous system of Enduring Power of Attorney. The Office of the Public Guardian registers Lasting Powers of Attorneys before they can be used. Registration includes a 42-day statutory waiting period that allows named individuals to raise any objections to the registration. This is one of a number of key safeguards built into the process to help ensure that Lasting Powers of Attorneys have not been drawn up fraudulently.
3. For more information, contact the Ministry of Justice Press Office on 020 7210 8822.