Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 (the Act)
The Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 sets a framework for safeguarding the welfare and managing the finances of adults who lack capacity. Its main aim is to protect adults with limited capacity to make decisions while aiding them in making decisions about their own lives whenever possible. The Act allows someone else to make decisions on behalf of a person who lacks the capacity to make their own decisions.
The Act applies to anyone over the age of 16 who, due to a mental disorder or brain injury, is considered to lack the capacity to make some or all decisions for themselves. This also includes anyone unable to communicate their decision due to physical disability.