Health Rights and Older People: Is a Convention for the Human Rights of Older People the Answer?

Professor Jean V. McHale Director, Centre for Health Law, Science and Policy, University of Birmingham

The provision of health care for older people has had a very chequered history across jurisdictions. Older people have been marginalised, made vulnerable, excluded from certain forms of health care and are subject to discrimination. Isn’t it about time that we took health rights concerning older people more seriously?

At a time when the UN is exploring the potential for a UN Convention on the Rights of Older Persons this lecture asks what would be the implications of such a Convention for older people and the delivery of health care services.

Jean McHale is Professor of Health Care Law and Director of the Centre for Health Law Science and Policy at the University of Birmingham. She has previously worked at the Universities of Manchester, Nottingham, Leicester and UEA UK. She has written/edited 11 books as sole or co-author and numerous articles and book chapters. Her most recent books include European Health Law: Themes and Implications (Cambridge University Press, 2015) and Principles of Medical Law (Oxford University Press, 2017).

This event is presented by Melbourne Law School, Melbourne Social Equity Institute and the Hallmark Ageing Research Initiative.

The event flyer is available to download online.