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Voice Matters

Pictured at the launch of Voice Matters at Wood Quay on May 7, 2025 (l-r): Dr Michael Browne (Research & Policy Coordinator, Sage Advocacy), Patricia Rickard-Clarke (Trustee, Sage Advocacy), Bibiana Savin (CEO, Sage Advocacy), Martina Larkin (Legal Support Unit Lead, Sage Advocacy) and Mark Mellett (Chair, Sage Advocacy)

Voice Matters – The Operation of The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Acts

Voice Matters: The Operation of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Acts: The Experience & Perspectives of Sage Advocacy

Two years on from the commencement of the Assisted Decision-Making Acts, the scoping document, Voice Matters, reviews Sage Advocacy’s experience of this landmark legislation in practice. It examines the organisation’s experience of implementation; suggests how application of the legislation can be further encouraged; and proposes process and system improvements needed to ensure that the rights enshrined in the Acts can be accessed and enjoyed to the fullest.

READ VOICE MATTERS

keynote address by chief justice at wood quay launch

The launch of Voice Matters in Dublin in May 2025 was attended by a wide range of stakeholders and heard a keynote address by Chief Justice Donal O’Donnell. The press release discussing the day’s events can be read here; and clips from the Chief Justice’s speech can be viewed here and here

sage Advocacy's experience of ADMCA implementation

Legal Support Unit Lead, Martina Larkin, presented an overview of Sage Advocacy’s experience of the new legislation in practice. Ms Larkin gave attendees a picture of the organisation’s process development in relation to this work; and set out some of the issues encountered that present challenges to effective implementation. The presentation slides can be viewed here.

Voice Matters Podcast by Patricia Rickard-Clarke

The May 7 launch of Voice Matters was opened by the law’s great champion, Patricia Rickard-Clarke. Ms Rickard-Clarke provided a powerful account of the journey of the formation of the Act, from 2006 to present, placed in parallel with the development of Sage and its achievements along the same journey. Ms Rickard Clarke’s address illuminated the breadth and depth of the contribution that Sage has offered to this radical shift in human rights law in Ireland – where the lurking 1871 Lunacy Act has been put to bed once and for all! Click the play button, left, to listen to the podcast.

A visual summary of issues requiring attention

Research and Policy Coordinator, Dr Michael Browne, set out the implementation issues that need to be addressed – and he outlined a series of interventions that would ensure that this groundbreaking law can operate effectively and to the fullest. Below is a visual summary of the issues highlighted by Dr Browne’s research and in the observations reported to him by staff on the front line of implementation; plus the recommended actions on each point. It can be viewed in PDF format here.