Health Law In New Zealand By Peter Skegg And Ron Paterson (Editors)

• Author: Rhonda L. Powell
• Position: Lecturer, School of Law, University of Canterbury
• Pages: 328-331

328

BOOK REVIEW

HEA LTH LAW IN NEW ZEAL AND

B P S   R P (E)

T R  N Z , 

R L P*

Health Law in New Zealand is the foremost text on the law aec ting the

New Zealand health sector. e successor to Medical Law in New Zealand1

has been renamed in light of the expa nsion of subject matter to include public

hea lt h law, 2 which is oriented at the population as a whole rather than t he

relationship between health practitioner and patient.3 e name also aptly

reects the fact that medicine is only one of many health professions that are,

by and large, subject to the same legal rules.

e new edition is a substantial resource reec ting the wealth of experience

and expertise of the editors and contributing authors, both in academia and

practise. It is aimed at legal practitioners, health practitioners and managers,

students and the public. New Zeala nd’s health law is unique because we have

an enforceable code of patient rights4 and a fault-free compensation scheme

for accident and personal injury with a corresponding statutory bar on civil

proceedings for personal injury.5 Health Law in New Zealand should a lso

be seen as a resource for lawyers and scholars internationally who may be

interested in these features.

Although health law is recognised as a eld in its own right, health could

equally well be seen as a context in w hich the law applies. Health Law in New

Zealand spans tort, crimes, contract, human rights, accident compensation,

and administrative law. It is no wonder that the volume is so extensive. It

covers the framework for the regulation of healthca re,6 the standard of care

required by health professionals,7 consent,8 healt h inform ation,9 menta l

health a nd intellec tual d isability,10 the beginning and end of life,11 huma n

1 Peter Skegg and Ron Paterson (ed s), Medical Law in New Zea land (omson Brookers,

Well ing ton, 2 006 ).

2 At vii.

3 At 774.

4 Code of Health & Dis ability Services C onsumers Rights Reg ulations 1996.

5 Accident Compensat ion Act 2001, s 317.

6 Part A Introduct ion.

7 Part B e Standa rd of Care.

8 Part C Consent.

9 Part D Health In formation.

10 Part E Mental Hea lth and Intellectua l Disability.

11 Part F e Beg inning of Life and Part G  e End of Life.

* Lecturer, School of L aw, University of Canterbu ry.