Description

Belgium plays a pioneering role in health law: it has extensive, forward-looking health legislation, which has resulted in a great deal of case law. This case law and the very active legal doctrine on health law are brought together in the bilingual Journal on Health Law. There is also a comprehensive standard work in Dutch, the Handbook on Health Law.

Not only does Belgium have extensive legislation on health law, that legislation is also quite unique and progressive. This book therefore focuses on: the Belgian Law on euthanasia, the Abortion Law, the Law on Embryo Research, medically assisted fertility treatments, informed consent, professional confidentiality, medical records, GDPR, the right to complain, medical liability and the Belgian Law on Medical Accidents, minors and patients with mental illness, organ transplantation and medical experiments, and hospital legislation.

Each chapter concludes with a summary setting out what makes Belgian law unique.

This volume seeks to enhance the accessibility of Belgian health law for an international audience. Moving beyond a purely descriptive account of legislation, it offers a comprehensive analysis of the 'living law' as applied within the courts.

Thierry Vansweevelt is a professor at the University of Antwerp, where he teaches “Liability Law and Risk Insurance” and “Health Law”. His PhD-thesis “The Liability of Doctors and Hospitals” was awarded the prestigious Fernand Collin Prize and he received the University of Antwerp Research Council Prize for his entire body of work. He is a partner at the law firm Dewallens & partners, editor-in-chief of the bilingual Journal of Health Law, and editor of the Handbook on Belgian Health law (with F. Dewallens). Prof. Vansweevelt is the first lawyer to be appointed a member of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium and currently serves as President of the World Association for Medical Law.

Filip Dewallens is a professor at the University of Antwerp and KU Leuven, where he teaches “Hospital Law” and “Co-governance and conflict management in hospital–physician relations” . He is the founder and managing partner of the law firm Dewallens & partners and is widely regarded as the leading authority in Belgian health law practice. At an international level, he has undertaken assignments for the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the Council of Europe. Prof. Dewallens is also the current President of the Belgian Association for Health Law and editor of the Handbook on Belgian Health law (with T. Vansweevelt).