Abstract
The case note argues that the failure of the Supreme Court justices to recognise Ms McDonald's claim to dignity and equal treatment can be explained by the neo-liberal context of contemporary judicial reasoning. It sets out the circumstances of Ms McDonald's application for judicial review and the legal framework of community care; it then explores the legal reasoning of the majority of the court, and the response to Baroness Hale's dissent, before commenting on the extent to which the decision demonstrates neo-liberal characteristics.