<Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Text of statute as originally enacted </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Revised text of statute as amended </Th> </Tr> <P> The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (c 9) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom applying to England and Wales . Its primary purpose is to provide a legal framework for acting and making decisions on behalf of adults who lack the capacity to make particular decisions for themselves . </P> <P> The five principles are outlined in the Section 1 of the Act . These are designed to protect people who lack capacity to make particular decisions, but also to maximise their ability to make decisions, or to participate in decision - making, as far as they are able to do so . </P>

When did the mental capacity act came into force