You might need permission to record a doctor’s appointment and extra permission to share it. That depends on where you live.
If the bill clears its final hurdle next week, Western Australia will become the second state in Australia after Victoria to legalise voluntary assisted dying.
from www.shutterstock.com
A marathon round of amendments and parliamentary debate will likely see voluntary assisted dying implemented in WA in around 18 months. It’s time to start preparing.
The Victorian assisted dying laws are based on those in Oregon, which are quite conservative. Laws in the Netherlands, Belgium and Canada are more relaxed.
Supporters outside the now-abandoned case in the British High Court, rallying for infant Charlie Gard to travel to the US for experimental treatment.
Peter Nicholls/Reuters
Decriminalisation is important as it signals to the community that abortion is part of gynaecological care and should not be treated differently to any other form of health care.
New legislation provides greater access to sperm and egg donors’ details, while acknowledging some donors’ concerns.
from www.shutterstock.com
From today, more people conceived with donor sperm or eggs in Victoria will have the legal right to know details about their donor – even if the donation was made anonymously.
A UK court has allowed a 14-year-old girl’s body to be frozen until doctors find a cure for the cancer that killed her. Is this latest example of cryogenics hope, hype or hell?
Medical law in Australia is based on the principle of patient autonomy.
from shutterstock.com
The law should allow greater communication between health professionals, families and carers even if this impacts on patients’ rights of confidentiality.
Having an advance care directive ensures your values and wishes are known, even beyond a time when you can no longer speak for yourself.
from shutterstock.com
At least one-third of patients receive non-beneficial treatments at the end of their life. Having a good advance care directive that you share with others helps them know and respect your wishes.
Needle match. tension in the court room can push parents away.
AVN Photo Lab/Shutterstock
The rise of personalised medicine, which is mainly based on genetic testing, needs adequate regulation so privacy rights aren’t breached. That’s only one of several issues that must be considered.
Lynette Rowe’s lawyers successfully negotiated a multimillion dollar settlement, but not every compensation case is that successful.
Julian Smith/AAP Image
Decades have passed and yet the issue of financial compensation for the remaining “survivors” of the thalidomide tragedy has, in many instances, remained unresolved.
Visiting Professor in Biomedical Ethics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute; Distinguished Visiting Professor in Law, University of Melbourne; Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics, University of Oxford