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Professor Muireann Quigley
Professor of Law, Medicine, and Technology
m.quigley.2@bham.ac.uk
Professor Quigley has an interdisciplinary background which crosses medicine, ethics, and law. This is reflected in her research which focuses on the philosophical analysis of law and policy in medicine and the biosciences. Her research in the last 5 years has focused on three main areas: (1) bodies and biomaterials, (2) bodies and (bio)technologies, and (3) the use of the behavioural sciences in law and policy. She has received funding from a number of bodies for her work including the Leverhulme and Wellcome Trusts.
Professor Quigley is author of a recent major monograph which asks how the law ought to deal with novel challenges regarding the use and control of human biomaterials (Self-ownership, Property Rights, & the Human Body: A Legal and Philosophical Analysis (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018)). Drawing together often disparate strands of property discourse, the book offers an original interdisciplinary defence of the position that persons ought to be seen as the prima facie holders of property rights in their separated biomaterials.
BSc (Medical Science) (St Andrews)
BSc (Hons) (Manchester)
MB ChB (Manchester)
MA (Manchester)
PhD (Manchester)
Professor Quigley joined Birmingham Law School in January 2018 as Professor of Law, Medicine, and Technology. From August 2015 she held the Chair in Law, Innovation, and Society the University of Newcastle. Prior to that was Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Ethics and Law at the Centre for Ethics in Medicine at the University of Bristol, and has worked at the University of Manchester's Centre for Social Ethics and Policy in the School of Law where she held positions as Lecturer in Bioethics and Research Fellow in Bioethics and Law. In a previous life she was a medical doctor, working in General Medicine and A&E, and also as a Screening Physician for a phase I clinical trials company
Biolaw, property in the body and biomaterials, the use if the behavioural sciences in law and policy, (bio)technologies and law.
Find out more - our PhD Law page has information about doctoral research at the University of Birmingham.
Professor Quigley's recent research has focused on three main areas: (1) bodies and biomaterials, (2) bodies and (bio)technologies, and (3) the use of the behavioural sciences in law and policy. All three areas are underpinned by an interest in the foundations of and boundaries in law. Amongst others, her work has been funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Leverhulme Trust.
In her forthcoming monograph she examines how the law ought to deal with novel challenges regarding the use and control of human biomaterials, arguing that innovation within the law is needed if we are to adequately deal with and regulate the uses of these. In particular, the law must confront and move boundaries which it has constructed; in particular, those which delineate property from non-property in relation to biomaterials (Self-ownership, Property Rights, & the Human Body: A Legal and Philosophical Analysis (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018)).
Work on the monograph led to a development of Professor Quigley's longstanding interest in bodies and (bio)technologies. She is interested in the challenges arising as (bio)technological objects move out of and into the body. Those objects moving in (e.g. relevant medical devices) present challenges to the philosophical foundations of law as it currently stands (e.g. challenging binary classifications such as subject-object upon which the law is built).
Professor Quigley's third main area of research centres on the use of the behavioural sciences in law and policy. Behavioural-inspired public policy is often framed by proponents and policy-makers as desirable strategies for achieving a range of aims. It is also frequently presented (at least by policy-makers and Government) as being a pioneering alternative to the law and traditional regulatory structures. Professor Quigley's work examines the problematic empirical, philosophical, and political foundations of the translation and application of the behavioural sciences into law and policy
Medical Law International, Editorial Board Member (2017- )
Journal of Medical Ethics, Associate Editor (2013-2016)
UK Donation Ethics Committee, Member (2012-2016)
University of Bristol, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Research Ethics Committee, Chair and Faculty Research Ethics Officer (2014-2015)
Medical Research Council Reference Group, Member (2013-2014)
North West e-Health Research Governance Committee, Vice-chair (2009 - 2013).
Quigley, M. Self-ownership, Property Rights, and the Human Body: A Legal and Philosophical Analysis (Cambridge University Press, January 2018).
Quigley, M., 'Libertarian Paternalism and Nudging: On Alluring Concepts and Public Policy', Handbook on the Philosophy of Paternalism (Routledge, 2017).
Quigley, M. and Farrell, A.M., 'The Politics of Nudge and Framing Behaviour Change in Health' in Beck, S. and Strassheim, H. (eds) Handbook of Behavioural Change and Public Policy (Edward Elgar, 2018).
Journal articles (peer-reviewed)
Jones, I. and Quigley, M., 'Preventing Lawful and Decent Burial: Resurrecting Dead Offences', Legal Studies (2016) 36(2): 354–374.
Quigley, M., 'Propertisation and Commercialisation: On Controlling the Uses of Biomaterials', Modern Law Review (2014) 77(5): 677-702.
Quigley, M., 'Are Health Nudges Coercive?', Monash Bioethics Review (2014) 32(1-2): 141-58
Willis, B.H. and Quigley, M., Opt-out Organ Donation: On Evidence and Public Policy', Journal of the Royal Society for Medicine (2014) 107(2): 56-60.
Quigley, M., 'Nudging for Health: On Public Policy and Designing Choice Architecture', Medical Law Review (2013) 21(4): 588-621.
Quigley, M., 'Property in Human Biomaterials: Separating Persons and Things?' in Oxford Journal of Legal Studies (2012) 32(4) 659-683.
Quigley, M., Wright, L.W., and Ravitsky, V., 'Organ Donation and Priority Points in Israel: An Ethical Analysis' in Transplantation (2012) 93(10): 970-73.
Willis, B.H. and Quigley, M. 'The Assessment of the Quality of Reporting of Meta-analyses in Diagnostic Research: A Systematic Review', BMC Medical Research Methodology (2011) 11:163, pp. 1-11.
Willis, B.H. and Quigley, M. 'Uptake of Newer Methodological Developments and the Deployment of Meta-analysis in Diagnostic Test Research: A Systematic Review', BMC Medical Research Methodology (2011) 11:27, pp. 1-8
Quigley, M. 'A Right to Reproduce' in Bioethics (2010) 24(8): 403-11
Quigley, M. 'Best Interests, the Power of the Medical Profession, and the Power of the Judiciary' Health Care Analysis (2008) 16: 233-39.
Coggon, J., Brazier, M., Murphy, P., Price, D., and Quigley, M. 'Best Interests and Potential Organ Donors' in British Medical Journal (2008) 336: 1346-47
Quigley, M. 'Property Rights in the Human Body: Applying Honoré', Journal of Medical Ethics (2007) 33 (11): 631-634
Quigley, M. 'Non-human Primates: The Appropriate Subjects of Biomedical Research?, Journal of Medical Ethics (2007) 33 (11): 655-658
Quigley, M. 'A NICE Fallacy', Journal of Medical Ethics (2007) 33 (8): 465-466.
Chan, S. and Quigley, M. 'Frozen Embryos, Genetic Information, and Reproductive Rights', Bioethics (2007) 21(8): 439-448.
Journal articles and contributions (editorials/invited/non-peer-reviewed)
Quigley, M., 'Health Law and Policy: The Scope and Bounds of Liberty? Journal of Medical Ethics (2016) 42:481 (concise argument).
Quigley, M., 'Evidence and Ethics: Once More into the Fray', Journal of Medical Ethics (2015) 41:793-794 (concise argument).
Quigley, M., 'Risk and Choice in Childbirth: Problems of Evidence and Ethics?' Journal of Medical Ethics (2014) 40: 791 (concise argument).
Quigley, M., 'From Human Tissue to Human Bodies: Donation, Interventions, and Justified Distinctions?' in Clinical Ethics (2012) 7(2): 73-8.
Quigley, M. 'Tax Needn't Be Taxing, But in the Case of Organ Donation It Might Be', commentary in Journal of Medical Ethics (2012) 38: 458-60.
Quigley, M. 'Property: The Future of Human Tissue?', Case commentary in Medical Law Review (2009) 17(3):457-466.
Quigley, M. Enhancing Me, Enhancing You: Academic Enhancement as a Moral Duty in Expositions: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities (2008) 2.2: 157–62.
Quigley, M., Brazier, M. Navarro Michel, M, and Paredes, D. 'The Organs Crisis and the Spanish Model: Theoretical versus Pragmatic Considerations' in Journal of Medical Ethics (2008) 34: 223-224 (editorial).
Quigley, M. and Willis, B.H. 'Is Private Care Ethical?' Student British Medical Journal (2008) 16: 318-19.
Brazier, M. and Quigley, M. 'Deceased Organ Donation' in Clinical Ethics (2007) 2: 164-165 (editorial).
Quigley, M., Chan, S., and Harris, J. Stem Cells: New Frontiers in Science and Ethics (World Scientific Publishing, 2012).
Farrell, A.M., Price, D., and Quigley, M.Organ Shortage: Ethics Law and Pragmatism (Cambridge University Press, 2011).
Special journal issues edited
Coggon, J., Ford, A., and Quigley, M. Medical Law International (Medical Law and Ethics in the Media Spotlight), 2011; 11(3) (with introduction by the editors).
Chapters in edited books
Quigley, M. and Skene, L., 'Human Biomaterials and Property: Is the Law Still an Ass?' in Stanton, C., Devaney, S., Farrell, A.M., and Mullock, A. (Eds) Pioneering Healthcare Law: Essays in Honour of Margaret Brazier (Routledge, 2016), pp. 156-157.
Quigley, M., 'Organ Donation and Transplantation' in Dunn, M. et al (Eds.), Medical Law, Ethics and Communication Skills at a Glance (Wiley-Blackwell, 2016).
Quigley, M. and Stokes, E., 'Nudging and Evidence-based Policy in Europe: Problems of Normative Legitimacy and Effectiveness' (with Elen Stokes) in Alemanno, A. and Sibony, A-L. (eds) Nudging and the Law: A European Perspective? (Hart Publishing, 2015), pp. 61-82.*
Goold, I. and Quigley, M., 'Human Biomaterials: The Case for a Property Approach' in Goold, I., Herring, J., Skene, L., and Greasley, K. (eds.) Persons, Parts and Property: How Should we Regulate Human Tissue in the 21st Century? (Hart Publishing, 2014), pp. 231-262.
Quigley, M. 'Stem Cell Therapies and Benefiting from the Fruits of Banned Research' in Quigley, M., Chan, S., and Harris, J., Stem Cells: New Frontiers in Science and Ethics (World Scientific Publishing, 2012), pp. 163-86.
Quigley, M., Chan, S., and Harris, J. 'New Frontiers in Stem Cell Science and Ethics: Current Technology and Future Challenges' in Quigley, M., Chan, S., and Harris, J., Stem Cells: New Frontiers in Science and Ethics (World Scientific Publishing, 2012), pp. 1-18.
Farrell, A.M. and Quigley, M. 'Organ Donation and Transplantation' in Chadwick, R. (ed.) Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics, Second Edition, volume 3 (Academic Press: San Diego; 2012), pp. 288–296.
Quigley, M. 'Incentivising Organ Donation' in Farrell, A.M., Price, D., Quigley, M. (eds) Organ Shortage: Ethics Law and Pragmatism (Cambridge University Press, 2011), pp. 89-103.
Farrell, A.M., Price, D., and Quigley, M. 'A Principled and Pragmatic Approach to Organ Shortage' in Farrell, A.M., Price, D., Quigley, M. Organ Shortage: Ethics Law and Pragmatism (Cambridge University Press, 2011), pp. 3-14
Quigley, M. and Harris, J. 'To Fail to Enhance is to Disable' in Ralston, C. and Ho, J. (eds) Philosophical Reflections on Disability (Springer Science, 2009), pp. 123-32.
Quigley, M. and Harris, J. 'Immortal Happiness' in Bortolotti, L., (ed.) Philosophy and Happiness (Palgrave MacMillan, 2009), pp. 68-81.
Quigley, M. and Harris, J. 'Personal or Public Health' in Boylan, M. (ed.) International Public Health and Ethics (Springer Science + Business Media B.V., 2008), pp. 15-30.
Other publications (including book reviews, letters, and rapid responses)
Quigley, M. Book Review of Lenk, C., Hoppe, N. et al.: 2001 Human Tissue Research: A European Perspective on Ethical and Legal Challenges in Medical Law Review (2012) 20(3): 470-477.
Alghrani, A., Brazier, M., Coggon, J., and Quigley, M. 'Media (mis)Conceptions: Assisted Conception in the Spotlight' Bionews Issue 582, November 2010.
Quigley, M. Book Review ofHoppe, N.: 2009, Bioequity. Property and the Human Body. Medicine, Health Care, and Philosophy (2010) 13(3): 291-92.
Quigley, M. and Chan, S. Report on the 'Institute for Science, Ethics and Innovation (iSEI)' SCRIPTed (2008) 5(2): 429-31.
Quigley, M. and Harris, J. 'Writing by candlelight and other human enhancements' (with Harris, J.) (Letter) Nature (2008) 451 (7178): 521.
Quigley, M. 'Directed Deceased Organ Donation: The Problem with Algorithmic Ethics' Cardiff Centre for Ethics, Law, and Society, May 2008.
Quigley, M. 'Conditional Organ Donation: Not all Conditions are Morally Divisive' Southern Medical Journal, Rapid Response (2008) 101(10): 977.
Quigley, M., Brazier, M, and Farrell, AM. 'Organ Donation: Might ethical controversy be costing lives?' in Britain in 2008: The State of the Nation (A publication of the Economic and Social Research Council: 2008): 27.
Quigley, M. 'Medical Ethics and Law - Surviving on the Wards and Passing Exams' Book Review in Journal of Medical Ethics (2006) 32; 556-57.
Centre for Health Law, Science and Policy