Much has been written about whether end-of-life law should change and what that law should be. However, the barriers and facilitators of such changes – law reform perspectives – have been virtually ignored. Why do so many attempts to change the law fail but others are successful?
International Perspectives on End-of-Life Law Reform, a new book edited by Ben White and Lindy Willmott, aims to address this question by drawing on ten case studies of end-of-life law reform from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium and Australia. Written by leading end-of-life scholars, the book’s chapters blend perspectives from law, medicine, bioethics and sociology to examine sustained reform efforts to permit assisted dying and change the law about withholding and withdrawing life-sustaining treatment.
Findings from this book shed light not only on changing end-of-life law, but provide insight more generally into how and why law reform succeeds in complex and controversial social policy areas.
Chapter 12 – Available for Download
Chapter 12 analyses the ten reform case studies to identify lessons for international efforts to change the law and is currently available for download.
International Perspectives on End-of-Life Law Reform – Politics, Persuasion and Persistence is available now from Cambridge University Press.
About Ben White
Professor Ben White is an Australian Research Council Future Fellow (Professorial Level, 2020-2023) and a member of the Australian Centre for Health Law Research. His area of research focus is end-of-life decision making with a particular focus on voluntary assisted dying.
Ben’s research has had significant impact leading to changes in law, policy and practice. His work has been adopted by parliaments, courts and tribunals, and law reform commissions and has also influenced State and national end-of-life policy and prompted changes to clinical education in universities, hospitals, and health departments.
You can learn more about Ben and his research and publications in his staff profile.
About Lindy Willmott
Professor Lindy Willmott is a member of the Australian Centre for Health Law Research, and publishes extensively in the area of health law. Lindy specialises in end-of-life decision making.
Lindy’s research has had significant impact leading to changes in law, policy and practice. Her work has been adopted by parliaments, courts and tribunals, and law reform commissions and has also influenced State and national end-of-life policy and prompted changes to clinical education in universities, hospitals, and health departments.
You can learn more about Lindy and her research and publications in her staff profile.
