Medical Futility Law 2009 to 2011

My next "Legal Briefing" column in The Journal of Clinical Ethics 22, no. 3 (Fall 2011), coming out next month, reviews worldwide legal developments concerning medical futility from the past two years.  I group these developments  into the following eleven categories:

1.      Texas Advance Directives Act

2.      Ontario Consent and Capacity Board

3.      Surrogate Selection

4.      Ex Post Cases for Damages

5.      Ex Ante Cases for Injunctions

6.      Coercion and Duress

7.      Assent and Transparency

8.      Brain Death Cases

9.      Criminal and Administrative Sanctions

10.     Conscientious Objection   

11.     Penalties for Providing Futile Treatment