Sydney Health Law (SHL) is a dynamic centre for interdisciplinary research, scholarship, and engagement at the critical nexus of health, law, ethics, and society. Our comprehensive research themes span global health law and governance, public health law, healthcare law, clinical ethics and the rights of vulnerable populations, and the legal frameworks for health innovation and equitable access to care.
We produce impactful research that informs policy, shapes practice, and advances health justice both in Australia and globally. SHL fosters a rich collaborative environment, leveraging strong connections with leading research centres across the University of Sydney (including the Charles Perkins Centre and the Sydney Nano Institute), as well as external partners, to develop comprehensive solutions to complex health issues.
Our members and affiliates conduct cutting-edge research and contribute to legal scholarship, policy development, and public debate. Discover our research themes, meet our scholars, and explore how we are working to shape a healthier and more just future.
The global burden of non-communicable diseases – such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory conditions – demands innovative legal, regulatory, and policy solutions. This theme investigates the capacity of law and governance to create environments that support healthy choices, reduce NCD risks and strengthen the management and prevention of NCDs.
Our researchers explore the design and effectiveness of regulatory interventions addressing the risk factors for NCDs (including tobacco and alcohol consumption), the influence of commercial determinants on health, and national and global governance frameworks for NCD prevention, including the role of public health legislation.
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How we produce, distribute, and consume food has profound implications for human health, environmental sustainability, and social justice. This theme focuses on the transformative potential of law, regulation, and policy in creating food systems that nourish people and protect the planet.
Our work examines the role of law and regulation in food system transformation, innovative governance models, and responses to challenges such as food insecurity and the marketing of unhealthy food to children. Our work in this area involves collaboration with research networks and institutes such as the Charles Perkins Centre’s Food Governance Node.
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Upholding dignity, protecting rights, and ensuring justice within the healthcare system are paramount, especially for those who are most vulnerable. This theme delves into the complex legal and ethical issues surrounding clinical practice, professional responsibility, and the specific needs and rights of diverse populations, including children and survivors of violence.
Our research encompasses consent, capacity and decision-making, end-of-life law (including voluntary assisted dying), tort law, medical liability and causation, professional regulation, mental health law, forensic health responses to sexual and gender-based violence, children's health rights, and trauma-informed practice.
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Rapid advancements in health technologies, data science, and biomedical innovation offer unprecedented opportunities to improve health outcomes, yet they also present complex legal, ethical, and social challenges. This theme critically examines the governance of these innovations, with a focus on responsible development and equitable access globally.
Key areas of our investigation include the use of AI in healthcare, genomics, biobanking, regenerative medicine, therapeutic goods regulation, intellectual property rights concerning access to medicines, and the governance of health information.
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