A Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) order is a legal procedure prescribed by law to protect people who cannot consent to their care arrangements in a care home or hospital if those arrangements deprive them of their liberty. It is a set of checks that are part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, which applies in England and Wales. The DoLS procedure ensures that arrangements are assessed to check they are necessary and in the person’s best interests, and that representation and the right to challenge a deprivation are other safeguards that are part of DoLS. The DoLS framework is used to authorize deprivations of liberty when the person being deprived is 18 or over and they live in a care home or hospital. A person will only be lawfully deprived of their liberty if this is in their best interests, and they may be vulnerable due to their disabilities. If someone is deprived of their liberty, it means that they are not free to go anywhere without permission or close supervision, and they are continuously supervised. Final decisions about what amounts to a deprivation of liberty are made by courts.