The 1871 Lunacy Act could be taken off the books by next month, which would abolish the current system of wards of the court.
A conference on advocacy to be held at Croke Park will hear how the Assisted Decision Making Bill currently making its way through the Oireachtas will replace the outdated system.
Dr Eilionóir Flynn is Acting Director of the Centre for Disability Law and Policy and Senior Lecturer at NUI Galway.
She says the new legislation offers more protection for people with disabilities:
The new legislation provides for roles such as: Decision-Making Assistant; Co-Decision Maker; Decision-Making Representative.
The old rules should be phased out by November.
Decision-Making Representatives will be appointed by a court where a person does not have capacity to decide.
