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The expression of will is a crucial aspect of lawful transaction in civil law. The will of the individual and its expression is significant in ensuring for the ability of an individual to enjoy and exercise his or her right to self-determination, as well as for the legal transaction to be recognized as valid. Only the transactions made by a person capable of expressing their free will and being able to be aware of the content and consequences of the legal transaction are in force. Therefore, the observation and assessment of such capacity is particularly important in view of the fact that, in circumstances where a person is unable to express his will freely, he may be denied the right to enter into a legal transaction, or, if the legal transaction has been concluded in circumstances where the individual has not been able to express free will, such transaction may be declared invalid.

Pacientu tiesības sniegt brīvu un informētu piekrišanu ārstniecībā ir vispāratzītas. Tās ir nostiprinātas normatīvajos aktos. Zināms, ka nozīmīga daļa pacientu, kuriem piemīt īslaicīgi vai ilgstoši garīga rakstura un fiziski traucējumi, ir ierobežoti savās spējās pieņemt lēmumus un tā īstenot informētas piekrišanas tiesības. Šī realitāte prasa vērtēt, vai rīcībspēja kā labi zināms civiltiesību institūts ir pietiekams un atbilstošs priekšnoteikums juridiski saistoša lēmuma pieņemšanai ārstniecībā, vai pastāv nepieciešamība Latvijas tiesību sistēmā ieviest jaunu, lemtspējas tiesību institūtu. Rakstā tiek raksturota Latvijas normatīvajos pastāvošais pacienta lēmumu pieņemšanas spējas regulējums un tiek parādīti tā trūkumi. Autoru secinājumi norāda, ka pacientu lemtspējas institūta ieviešana pilnveidotu pacientu tiesību aizsardzības sistēmu.

This article focuses on the legal obligation of notaries to assess the capacity of persons before concluding a notarial act. In particular, it examines how legal doctrine and case law reveal the procedure for complying with this obligation in Latvia, focusing on the possible challenges of assessing the capacity of persons with mental disabilities. The German legal framework concerning this topic is also addressed. The key idea proposed by the article is that compliance with the obligation should not be declaratory, thereby jeopardising the protection of mentally disabled persons in a legal transaction. It is necessary to establish a mechanism for the assessment of capacity to act in order to ensure that the obligation to assess capacity is implemented in a consistent manner.

The Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman Treatment is a body of the Council of Europe that organises visits to places of detention such as social care homes in order to assess how persons deprived of their liberty are treated. This means that in practice people are not free to leave the institution and are therefore de facto deprived of liberty. In such situations, people with disabilities are particularly vulnerable and have limited capacity to make decisions about medical treatment and care. As the number of such persons increases, and in order to ensure protection under international law, the results of the empirical study indicate the need to provide immediate assistance to residents in safeguarding their rights to self-determination or private autonomy and legal interests in making health care decisions in social care settings. For example, involving the resident in consenting to treatment or establishing a decision-making assessment procedure.