INTERACTION BETWEEN HEALTHCARE, ETHICS AND THE LAW
A large amount of our work involves the interaction between healthcare, ethics and the law, well out of such traditional areas as clinical negligence and disciplinary proceedings, and into other areas of the law. Some of our cases involved:-
• the assessment of the medical and expert evidence in murder cases;
• allegations of sexual misconduct of the parties to matrimonial proceedings;
• defamation of doctors, dentists and patients;
• misconduct of experts;
• misuse of intellectual property and confidential patient information;
• partnership and employment disputes;
• fitness for employment;
• judicial review of the retirement of public officers on medical grounds;
• “stalking” by a patient of a doctor;
• criminal proceedings regarding such matters as false medical certificates, illegal termination of pregnancies, and causing hurt to patients;
• the legitimacy and adoption of children born through assisted reproduction;
• assessment of testamentary capacity and capacity to contract;
• the protection of vulnerable classes of people such as young children, the elderly, the mentally-incapacitated, prisoners, refugees, and illegal immigrants;
• insurance claims for medical expenses, personal injury, and death;
• judicial review of the punishment of transvestites in a Muslim court; and
• product liability.
