Assisted dying and the right to die have been at the forefront of debate for decades. There have been many high profile legal cases challenges since the turn of the millennium including: Diane Pretty, Debbie Purdy, Tony Nicklinson and Noel Conway. It is, quite understandably, a highly emotive subject. Most recently, the debate has occurred before Parliament through the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill ( ‘the Bill’ ) which was introduced by Kim Leadbeater MP. The Bill

Assault is an offence that has been part of English criminal law for centuries. It is a ‘common law’ offence, meaning that it has not been created by statute (an Act of Parliament), but by case law (court judgments). Subsequent case law has developed the offence of Assault and defined its scope. Assault has, however, been acknowledged in statute. Section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 indicates that the offences of common assault and battery “ shall be summary offences

Asbestos is a material that was widely used as a building material between approximately 1950 - 1970. Whilst asbestos can be dangerous, it does not present a health risk if it is left undisturbed. But if material containing asbestos is damaged, it can release a fine dust that contains asbestos fibres. It is therefore essential that specialists are enlisted to remove asbestos. Owing to the advances in science and medicine, exposure to asbestos fibres has been proven to cause a

Euthanasia has always been a contentious topic which attracts an array of opinions. It is also an emotionally charged topic. Newell Legal previously reported on assisted dying in August 2017 , providing a general background into the topic from a legal perspective. In that piece, Newell Legal referred to the current battle being fought to legalise euthanasia. There have been fresh developments in the case concerning Noel Conway, as well as recent controversy on this topic in B

Scandal has struck the NHS once again. It recently transpired that infected blood had been given to patients in the past. Consequently, an inquiry has been announced by the government in an attempt to analyse what exactly occurred. This inquiry itself relates to blood and blood products provided to patients via the NHS before the year of 1991. The preliminary hearings of the inquiry began in September 2018 , with witnesses due to give evidence in April 2019. As a result, it m

Recent news regarding the NHS has been largely negative. Examples of this include the inquiry into tainted blood donations and significantly longer waiting periods for patients as a result of a funding crisis within the NHS. Such news paints a dark picture for the contemporary NHS. However, a recent decision from the High Court has given the NHS the right to give its patients a cheaper and more effective treatment than was previously offered. The full name of the case: Baye

Recent developments indicate a massive change to organ donation under the NHS system is set to happen, subject to Parliament approving what is known as “Max’s Law”. This is based on the experiences of Max Johnson, who successfully underwent a heart transplant. His story has since been supported by publications such as the Daily Mirror. The consultation received 17,000 consultation responses. The report that addresses these responses can be found here . Currently, an indiv

This article focuses on a recent ruling (the background facts can be found here ) by the Supreme Court, which addresses the current need for legal permission to end care for patients in a “long-term, permanent vegetative state”. The implications of this decision are massive; it could affect thousands of people who are kept alive by medical intervention. Undoubtedly, these cases can be distressing for doctors and judges alike. The stress can be especially apparent for the form

On 27th October 1967, the Abortion Act received royal assent . 50 years on, I reflect on the Abortion Act by discussing what exactly is allowed under that particular piece of legislation. I do not intend to address the pros and cons of abortion in this particular article. It is my intention to address that in later publications in order to prevent them becoming too long in length. Although, I will acknowledge that there are of course concerns within: human rights and religion

Assisted Dying (also referred to as Euthanasia in this article) has been a topic of discussion that has been raging for decades now, and this post attempts to incapsulate all of the main points from a legal standpoint. It is an extremely contentious area of discussion, which is highly charged on an emotional level. This is completely understandable given the severity of the consequences of the actions involved and the decisions made. It has become even more central recently,