This book offers a critical analysis of some of the guiding principles and assumptions that have been central to the development and identity of medical law. Focusing on several key cases in the field - including the 'Dianne Pretty' and 'Conjoined Twins' cases - the book scrutinizes the notions of autonomy and human rights, and explores the relationship between medical law and moral conflict. It also asks what role, if any, the courts might play in stimulating public debate about the ethics of controversial developments in medicine and biomedical science. This innovative book will be of interest to academics and students working in the areas of medical law, legal theory, bioethics and medical ethics. It will also appeal to those within the medical and health care professions seeking a critical analysis of the development and operation of medical law.

This book provides an overview of the US laws that affect clinical practice for healthcare professionals with no legal background. Divided into thirteen sections, each chapter starts with a summary of the chapter’s content and relevant legal concepts in bullet points before discussing the topics in detail. An application section is provided in many chapters to clarify essential issues by reflecting on clinically relevant case law or clinical vignette(s). Filling a crucial gap in the literature, this comprehensive guide gives healthcare professionals an understanding or a starting point to legal aspects of healthcare.

This book provides a comparative and accessible analysis of key areas of healthcare law, comparing English law with selected common and civil law jurisdictions within a framework of law and medical ethics, and encompassing pivotal cases, codes and legislation. The introduction examines medical decision making, and legal and ethical frameworks in Western and non-Western cultures. Part I examines healthcare law in England and Wales, including abortion, consent, confidentiality, children, euthanasia, persistent vegetative state patients, organ transplantation, sterilisation of the mentally incapacitated, surrogacy, UK cloning proposals and the landmark conjoined twins case. Part II covers non-English common law jurisdictions such as Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and certain American jurisdictions. Civil law examples focus on France and Germany, and, where appropriate, Scandinavian countries. International perspectives on abortion laws and euthanasia are also provided. The book concludes with a comparative overview, which highlights common healthcare themes across various jurisdictions. Comparative Healthcare Law brings together information never previously accessible within the covers of one volume, making this unique book indispensable for scholars and practitioners in the field of healthcare law.