The McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer, in collaboration with the Dutch Cancer Society, Institute of Cancer Policy, Kenya Cancer Association, National Cancer Society Malaysia, and Norwegian Cancer Society hosted a one-day event on 31 October 2016 in conjunction with the UICC World Cancer Congress in Paris. The event brought together 35 representatives from cancer control organisations with an interest in the effective use of law and regulation for cancer control.
Presentations from the day are available here.
Cancer Council Victoria and the McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer hosted a lively multi-disciplinary medical and legal panel discussion to consider the range of legal frameworks that impact on the delivery of cancer care in Victoria, including regulation of health professionals, consent laws, and end-of-life law. The law can be complex and there is evidence that it is not always well-understood - or applied. Using case studies to draw out some of the complexities in the law, the discussion illustrated the different ways in which the law impacts on cancer care and experiences and outcomes for cancer patients, their carers and health professionals.
The McCabe Centre hosted a community Q & A panel examining end-of-life choices, including how the law supports people's choices. Expert panellists explained how advance care planning—the process of thinking and talking about what kind of medical care and treatments a person might or might not want when unable to make or communicate their own decisions—can better support decision making at the end of life.
The Norwegian Cancer Society, Danish Cancer Society and McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer ran a workshop on the use of law in preventing and responding to occupational and environmental cancers, and the right to health. Attendees came from Australia, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and the UK, and included representatives from other European cancer agencies, trade unions, lawyers and academics.
The event examined legal issues relating to preventing and responding to occupational and environmental cancers, and the legal justiciability of the right to health in national contexts. It was an interactive workshop with presentations, discussions and group work.
The McCabe Centre and Cancer Council Victoria's Clinical Network co-hosted a special end-of-year symposium - Law and cancer: implications for clinical practice - for Clinical Network members and other health and legal professionals. Lawyer and radio personality Bill O'Shea hosted a panel discussion of a case study that incorporated elements of informed consent, medical negligence and end of life law. The McCabe Centre's Dr Deborah Lawson presented findings on informed consent in Victorian cancer care before the panel discussion, which included a medical oncologist, a surgeon, a palliative care physician, a law professor and a QC.
Advance care planning supports better decision-making at end of life for patients, their carers and health professionals. Initiating conversations about this topic can be challenging, and there are several key legal concepts that are important to be across.
Cancer Council Victoria and the McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer hosted a free webinar to support health professionals looking to better understand the implications of advance care planning for their practice. More information here .
Organised by UICC and hosted by Cancer Council Australia, the 2014 World Cancer Congress gathered all cancer control professions under one roof, at a crucial time in the global fight against cancer. Held every two years, the World Cancer Congress has become a not-to-be missed event in the global health calendar. The Congress provided participating delegates with even more opportunities to interact with an impressive range of experts from all over the world. The McCabe Centre was involved in Congress sessions on cancer prevention, treatment and care, hosted networking and training events, and had a booth in the Global Village .
The Queensland University of Technology Health Law Research Centre, Dalhousie Health Law Institute and Tsinghua Health Law Research Centre held an International Conference on End of Life: Law, Ethics, Policy and Practice 2014 (ICEL 2014) . This interdisciplinary conference was hosted by the Queensland University of Technology Health Law Research Centre in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia from 13-15 August 2014.
McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer and Melbourne Law School launched the book Regulating Tobacco, Alcohol and Unhealthy Foods: The Legal Issues co-edited by Professor Tania Voon, Professor Andrew Mitchell and Jonathan Liberman. Click here for further information including purchasing options.
The Gippsland Region Palliative Care Consortium in partnership with the McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer, are conducting a series of education sessions in the Gippsland region to provide education and training for health professionals to develop knowledge and expertise in advance care planning (ACP) and associated communication skills to better support patients in decision making at the end of life. The education sessions combine clinical insights on conversations about death and dying, with education by legal experts, aimed at familiarising GPs with ACP components that are practical and easily applicable to their practice.
This one day conference brought together an interdisciplinary group of scholars and commentators to explore the use of nudge strategies to incentivise better health. The conference will be of interest to those working or researching in areas involving health and well being, and public health more generally. Please see the flyer for further information.
Plain packaging of tobacco products: Could it happen in South Africa?
The Australian Minister for Health at the time, Ms Nicola Roxon, gave a keynote address at the Faculty of Law at the University of Cape Town to discuss the advent of Australian plain packaging legislation and its aftermath. Please see the flyer for further information.
The theme of the Conference was 'A Smokefree Oceania: getting there together'.
Cancer Council Victoria is facilitated key stakeholder meetings with cancer organisations and other agencies interested in joint advocacy to improve the Victorian Patient Travel Assistance Scheme.
The Making the law work better for people affected by cancer workshop was co-hosted by the McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria's Strategy and Support Division and the Gippsland Regional Integrated Cancer Services (GRICS).
The 4th International Conference on Advance Care Planning and End of Life Care was held in Melbourne from 9th to 11th May, with sessions on palliative care and improving end of life care for cancer patients, and on the legalities of advance care planning and end of life care. There was also a plenary session on delivering quality end of life care for cancer patients with mental illnes.
The workshop marked the McCabe Centre's first major event with the Norwegian Cancer Society, our Collaborating Centre for Europe, and will brought together cancer control organisations, researchers and advocates from across Europe. It featured focus sessions on tobacco control, obesity, and the legal rights of people with cancer.
Is it the end of the line for the cab rank rule?
The McCabe Centre and Monash University’s Centre for Regulatory Studies hosted an event to examine the bar’s ‘cab rank' rule, and asked: What is the cab rank rule? And to what extent should it apply to barristers representing corporations that do harm, such as the tobacco industry?
Read our blog post on the event: Flagging down a cab or booking a chauffeur-driven limousine? Are we lowering the Bar?
Cancer Council Victoria’s McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer, and Strategy and Support Division held an event to look at the laws and policies that impact on Victorians diagnosed with cancer, their families and health professionals.