There is concern that the recent increase in demonstrations outside abortion clinics in England and Wales may have a detrimental impact on clinic-users' access to abortion services. Parliament could respond to this concern by passing legislation that implements fixed buffer zones around all clinics providing abortion services in England and Wales. This would make it an offence to engage in prohibited behaviour (as defined by the legislation) within a specified area around abortion clinics. Such legislation may be challenged, however, on the basis that it interferes with the rights afforded to demonstrators by Articles 9, 10, and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). This article examines the proportionality of fixed buffer zone legislation, which has not yet been considered by the European Court of Human Rights nor the UK Supreme Court. Two relationships are considered: first, the relationship between the aims of the measures and the means to achieve those aims; second, the relationship between the competing interests of demonstrators opposing abortion and clinic-users seeking an abortion. This article shows that fixed buffer zone legislation can be proportionate. Consequently, the ECHR is no impediment to the enactment of fixed buffer zone legislation in England and Wales.
{"title":"Fixed Buffer Zone Legislation: A Proportionate Response to Demonstrations Outside Abortion Clinics in England and Wales?","authors":"Emily Ottley","doi":"10.1093/medlaw/fwac019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/medlaw/fwac019","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>There is concern that the recent increase in demonstrations outside abortion clinics in England and Wales may have a detrimental impact on clinic-users' access to abortion services. Parliament could respond to this concern by passing legislation that implements fixed buffer zones around all clinics providing abortion services in England and Wales. This would make it an offence to engage in prohibited behaviour (as defined by the legislation) within a specified area around abortion clinics. Such legislation may be challenged, however, on the basis that it interferes with the rights afforded to demonstrators by Articles 9, 10, and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). This article examines the proportionality of fixed buffer zone legislation, which has not yet been considered by the European Court of Human Rights nor the UK Supreme Court. Two relationships are considered: first, the relationship between the aims of the measures and the means to achieve those aims; second, the relationship between the competing interests of demonstrators opposing abortion and clinic-users seeking an abortion. This article shows that fixed buffer zone legislation can be proportionate. Consequently, the ECHR is no impediment to the enactment of fixed buffer zone legislation in England and Wales.</p>","PeriodicalId":49146,"journal":{"name":"Medical Law Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2022-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9447846/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40395227","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A fine balance: Best interests in the context of invasive treatment and autism: Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust v William Verden [2022] EWCOP 9.","authors":"Mollie Cornell","doi":"10.1093/medlaw/fwac015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/medlaw/fwac015","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49146,"journal":{"name":"Medical Law Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2022-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9128839","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Legal horizons and new challenges.","authors":"Hazel Biggs, Suzanne Ost","doi":"10.1093/medlaw/fwac033","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/medlaw/fwac033","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49146,"journal":{"name":"Medical Law Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2022-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9130334","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Medical treatment for adolescents with gender dysphoria has attracted considerable attention in recent years, with continuing court involvement in Australia and recent judicial review proceedings in the UK. In Re Imogen [No 6], the Family Court of Australia held that an application to the Family Court is mandatory if a parent or a medical practitioner of an adolescent diagnosed with gender dysphoria disputes the diagnosis, the adolescent's capacity to consent, or the proposed treatment. In this article, we examine the Family Court's rationale for preserving its welfare jurisdiction in gender dysphoria cases. We analyse case law developments in Australia and more recently in the UK and identify a thread of judicial discomfort in gender dysphoria jurisprudence about adolescents consenting to medical treatment that the court perceives to be 'innovative', 'experimental', 'unique', or 'controversial'. We explore whether treatment for gender dysphoria can be characterised as 'innovative' and identify four factors that appear to be influencing courts in Australia and the UK. We also consider how such a characterisation might impact (if at all) on an adolescent's capacity to consent to gender dysphoria treatment. We critique the ongoing role of courts in these cases and recommend a robust decision-making framework for gender dysphoria treatment to minimise court involvement in the future.
{"title":"Judicial Discomfort over 'Innovative' Treatment for Adolescents with Gender Dysphoria.","authors":"Michelle M Taylor-Sands, Georgina Dimopoulos","doi":"10.1093/medlaw/fwac018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/medlaw/fwac018","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Medical treatment for adolescents with gender dysphoria has attracted considerable attention in recent years, with continuing court involvement in Australia and recent judicial review proceedings in the UK. In Re Imogen [No 6], the Family Court of Australia held that an application to the Family Court is mandatory if a parent or a medical practitioner of an adolescent diagnosed with gender dysphoria disputes the diagnosis, the adolescent's capacity to consent, or the proposed treatment. In this article, we examine the Family Court's rationale for preserving its welfare jurisdiction in gender dysphoria cases. We analyse case law developments in Australia and more recently in the UK and identify a thread of judicial discomfort in gender dysphoria jurisprudence about adolescents consenting to medical treatment that the court perceives to be 'innovative', 'experimental', 'unique', or 'controversial'. We explore whether treatment for gender dysphoria can be characterised as 'innovative' and identify four factors that appear to be influencing courts in Australia and the UK. We also consider how such a characterisation might impact (if at all) on an adolescent's capacity to consent to gender dysphoria treatment. We critique the ongoing role of courts in these cases and recommend a robust decision-making framework for gender dysphoria treatment to minimise court involvement in the future.</p>","PeriodicalId":49146,"journal":{"name":"Medical Law Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2022-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9447848/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40518545","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DNACPR) decisions are a means to consider in advance the appropriateness of CPR measures if an acute crisis arises. During the COVID-19 pandemic, problems with such decisions, for example the putting in place of DNACPR decisions for all residents of certain care homes, received a lot of attention, prompting a Care Quality Commission (CQC) report with recommendations for improvement. Building on the CQC report, our article addresses a cluster of legal uncertainties surrounding DNACPR decisions, in particular about the grounds for such decisions and the correct procedures for the legally required consultation, including with whom to consult. This article will also analyse commonly used DNACPR forms, as well as the Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment (ReSPECT) form, which aims to incorporate DNACPR decisions as part of more holistic end-of-life care planning. The analysis shows that all forms exhibit shortcomings in reflecting the legal requirements for DNACPR decisions. We recommend a number of changes to the forms aimed at rendering DNACPR practice compliant with the law and more protective of the person's human rights.
{"title":"DNACPR Decisions: Aligning Law, Guidance, and Practice.","authors":"Sabine Michalowski,Wayne Martin","doi":"10.1093/medlaw/fwac007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/medlaw/fwac007","url":null,"abstract":"Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DNACPR) decisions are a means to consider in advance the appropriateness of CPR measures if an acute crisis arises. During the COVID-19 pandemic, problems with such decisions, for example the putting in place of DNACPR decisions for all residents of certain care homes, received a lot of attention, prompting a Care Quality Commission (CQC) report with recommendations for improvement. Building on the CQC report, our article addresses a cluster of legal uncertainties surrounding DNACPR decisions, in particular about the grounds for such decisions and the correct procedures for the legally required consultation, including with whom to consult. This article will also analyse commonly used DNACPR forms, as well as the Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment (ReSPECT) form, which aims to incorporate DNACPR decisions as part of more holistic end-of-life care planning. The analysis shows that all forms exhibit shortcomings in reflecting the legal requirements for DNACPR decisions. We recommend a number of changes to the forms aimed at rendering DNACPR practice compliant with the law and more protective of the person's human rights.","PeriodicalId":49146,"journal":{"name":"Medical Law Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2022-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138520122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
people’s autonomy and privacy, for equality, and for public health.’ Following the publication of this book, the FDA has since removed the in-person dispensing requirement which allowed the pills to be provided by mail in thirty-one states, thereby allowing pregnant persons to access TEMA services for the first time in the USA. However, this access may be under threat following the revocation of the constitutional right to abortion when Roe v Wade was overturned in June 2022. Examining the trajectory of TEMA access—or lack thereof—within these jurisdictions, the authors clearly identify that the nature of abortion policy in the UK and USA is driven by politics rather than by medical evidence. As such, this trend has created socio-legal barriers to accessing TEMA services in these jurisdictions even during and in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. As a clear example of this, the authors highlight that the home use of misoprostol has long been available for the treatment of spontaneous miscarriage in the UK, and yet prior to 2018 this medication could only be provided under medical supervision for induced miscarriage. As the authors indicate, this rule was surely not based on clinical evidence but was more likely to be politically motivated. The specificity of this topic and the level of technical detail included within the book preclude it from being light reading material for a reader who does not have a direct interest in abortion access. Nevertheless, this is an essential read for those—especially academics, medical professionals, and policymakers—seeking a comprehensive understanding of the benefits of TEMA, the current access to these services in the UK and USA, and how access may be expanded by displacing legal and practical barriers in these jurisdictions.
{"title":"Lucy Series, Deprivation of Liberty in the Shadows of the Institution","authors":"R. Reed-Berendt","doi":"10.1093/medlaw/fwac029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/medlaw/fwac029","url":null,"abstract":"people’s autonomy and privacy, for equality, and for public health.’ Following the publication of this book, the FDA has since removed the in-person dispensing requirement which allowed the pills to be provided by mail in thirty-one states, thereby allowing pregnant persons to access TEMA services for the first time in the USA. However, this access may be under threat following the revocation of the constitutional right to abortion when Roe v Wade was overturned in June 2022. Examining the trajectory of TEMA access—or lack thereof—within these jurisdictions, the authors clearly identify that the nature of abortion policy in the UK and USA is driven by politics rather than by medical evidence. As such, this trend has created socio-legal barriers to accessing TEMA services in these jurisdictions even during and in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. As a clear example of this, the authors highlight that the home use of misoprostol has long been available for the treatment of spontaneous miscarriage in the UK, and yet prior to 2018 this medication could only be provided under medical supervision for induced miscarriage. As the authors indicate, this rule was surely not based on clinical evidence but was more likely to be politically motivated. The specificity of this topic and the level of technical detail included within the book preclude it from being light reading material for a reader who does not have a direct interest in abortion access. Nevertheless, this is an essential read for those—especially academics, medical professionals, and policymakers—seeking a comprehensive understanding of the benefits of TEMA, the current access to these services in the UK and USA, and how access may be expanded by displacing legal and practical barriers in these jurisdictions.","PeriodicalId":49146,"journal":{"name":"Medical Law Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2022-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45018757","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Jordan A Parsons and Elizabeth Chloe Romanis, Early Medical Abortion, Equality of Access, and the Telemedical Imperative","authors":"P. Kemp","doi":"10.1093/medlaw/fwac027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/medlaw/fwac027","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49146,"journal":{"name":"Medical Law Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2022-08-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46862530","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Jo Samanta and Ash Samanta (eds), Clinical Guidelines and the Law of Medical Negligence—Multidisciplinary and International Perspectives","authors":"L. Hogg","doi":"10.1093/medlaw/fwac024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/medlaw/fwac024","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49146,"journal":{"name":"Medical Law Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2022-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49445640","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Jonathan Herring, Law and the Relational Self","authors":"Clark Hobson","doi":"10.1093/medlaw/fwac017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/medlaw/fwac017","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49146,"journal":{"name":"Medical Law Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2022-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47574180","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This article examines the pressing global problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), applying motivational posture theory to demonstrate how AMR and the prescribing that drives it can be considered a regulatory challenge. Following an outline of AMR and the threat of the 'superbugs' to which it gives rise, the article assesses the regulatory nature of the 'prescribing encounter' in the primary care setting. It applies both a responsive regulatory lens and motivational posture theory to analyse over 100 narrative accounts of encounters between a general practitioner and a patient. In so doing, the article examines the discursive repertoires and cultural resources available to primary care patients to explain the prescribing encounter and the dynamics within it. It concludes that patients conceive of prescribers as regulatory authorities and prescribing itself as a regulatory encounter. On this basis, the article argues that applying responsive regulatory theory and practice in response to the AMR challenge is likely to find reasonable patient acceptance, offering a new approach to this currently intractable challenge. This article then offers an analysis of what factors indicate patient drift towards defiance of regulatory aims, and what engagement and support encourage a return to cooperation.
{"title":"'She Wanted to Listen to her General Practitioner's Advice…': Exploring and Explaining Antibiotic Prescribing as a Regulatory Encounter.","authors":"David J Carter","doi":"10.1093/medlaw/fwac003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/medlaw/fwac003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This article examines the pressing global problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), applying motivational posture theory to demonstrate how AMR and the prescribing that drives it can be considered a regulatory challenge. Following an outline of AMR and the threat of the 'superbugs' to which it gives rise, the article assesses the regulatory nature of the 'prescribing encounter' in the primary care setting. It applies both a responsive regulatory lens and motivational posture theory to analyse over 100 narrative accounts of encounters between a general practitioner and a patient. In so doing, the article examines the discursive repertoires and cultural resources available to primary care patients to explain the prescribing encounter and the dynamics within it. It concludes that patients conceive of prescribers as regulatory authorities and prescribing itself as a regulatory encounter. On this basis, the article argues that applying responsive regulatory theory and practice in response to the AMR challenge is likely to find reasonable patient acceptance, offering a new approach to this currently intractable challenge. This article then offers an analysis of what factors indicate patient drift towards defiance of regulatory aims, and what engagement and support encourage a return to cooperation.</p>","PeriodicalId":49146,"journal":{"name":"Medical Law Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2022-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39642564","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}