The Queensland Law Reform Commission’s Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill is the first in Australia to address objections by institutions, and has been welcomed by Professors Ben White and Lindy Willmott from QUT’s Australian Centre for Health Law Research. Ben and Lindy (pictured above) authored the original VAD Bill…

David M. Studdert, Professor of Law and Medicine at Stanford University, was guest speaker at the Australian Centre for Health Law Research 8th Annual Public Oration. David explored gun violence in the United States, where approximately 40,000 Americans are killed by gunshot wounds each year. David discussed whether…

In the fifth instalment of our QUT Global Law, Science and Technology Seminar Series, co-hosted by the Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Thaddeus Mason Pope discussed how COVID-19 has spurred a renewed focus on protecting patient rights and tackling bigger perennial issues at the intersection of technology…

Fiona McDonald, Co-Director of the Australian Centre for Health Law Research, has had her work with the HIVE (Health Interventions in Volcanic Eruptions) Consortium cited in the October 2020 supplement to the Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization’s Disasters – Preparedness and Mitigation in the Americas…

Dr Sam Boyle and Professor Tamara Walsh from UQ conducted a study into the decision-making of the Queensland Mental Health Review Tribunal. They conducted group interviews with 36 lawyers and advocates for people with matters before the tribunal. The first paper arising from this study has just been…

Why are some governments and agencies willing to recommend mask use when others aren’t, and why are recommendations changing? Fiona McDonald, Co-Director of the Australian Centre for Health Law Research, together with Professor Claire Horwell from Durham University, has co-written an article for The Conversation UK on face…

A Queensland Parliamentary Committee recently handed down its Report on Voluntary Assisted Dying. Recommendation One of that report was that the Queensland Government should introduce legislation to legalise voluntary assisted dying based on draft legislation submitted to the Committee by Professors Lindy Willmott and Ben White. The Chair…

Approximately 30% of adults in Australia die after a decision to stop or not start potentially life-sustaining treatments, including mechanical ventilation, artificial nutrition and hydration, and CPR. While these decisions are a common part of mainstream medical practice, they raise practical, legal and ethical challenges. A central justification…

The Queensland Health, Communities, Disability Services and Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Committee will shortly deliver its report about voluntary assisted dying. The key question is whether or not the law should be changed to permit voluntary assisted dying. If the Committee recommends reform, its report will be…

Air pollution is a topical issue in this country and in many places around the world, and disasters involving severe air pollution episodes create a pressing public health issue. Health agencies and governments may face pressure during such emergencies to provide solutions to help protect affected communities. One…