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Just another academic, begging you to read
AI has arrived, and it’s easier than ever to produce summaries of cases, research articles, or anything else that’s hard to read. So, why bother reading at all?
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The health of Australia’s democracy: time to scale up a national conversation
Giving the inaugural human rights assessment of the Australian Human Rights Commission at the National Press Club in April, Commission President Hugh de Kretser began by emphasising the centrality of human rights to our democratic freedoms. “When we go somewhere”, he said, “we use our freedom of movement.” “When we join a trade union, a…
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Neurorights for computational neurosurgeons
Implanted neural devices promise to relieve enormous suffering, but they also raise questions about privacy, manipulation, and what informed consent can mean for a system that keeps changing. And one day, the neurosurgeons implanting them may need neurorights of their own.
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Navigating the ‘regulatory quagmire’ for extracellular vesicle therapies in Australia
Extracellular vesicles are generating excitement as tools for regenerative medicine and drug delivery — but no EV-based therapeutic has received market approval anywhere in the world. In a new Perspective article, we argue the barriers are not solely technical. They are also regulatory.
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Innovation down under 2: tobacco endgame strategies in New Zealand (the UK & USA)
A recent post reviewed the tobacco control innovations introduced into Australia through the Public Health (Tobacco and Other Products) Act 2023 (Cth). New Zealand was legislating world-leading innovations of its own around the same time, although their purpose and design contrast sharply with tobacco control measures in Australia. If Australia’s legislation is best seen as…
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Inaugural Carney Public Lecture | Australian Social Services Scandals: Towards dystopia? Or equity and justice for the vulnerable?
Thursday 11 December Time: 6-7.30pm (Refreshments to follow lecture)Venue: Law Lounge, Level 1, New Law Building Annexe (F10A)Eastern Avenue, University of Sydney, Camperdown campus Register for this free public lecture here In this lecture, Emeritus Professor Terry Carney explores the harm and injustices experienced by vulnerable Australians due to social services program failures such as Robodebt, employment services…
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Rethinking Australia’s tobacco revenue plunge
This post was written by Neil Francey, Research Affiliate, Sydney Health Law In an article in The Weekend Australian (13-14 September 2025), Associate Editor Eric Johnston argues that there should be a rethink of tobacco customs and excise duty, due to the scale of illicit trade in tobacco. Johnston’s piece was prompted by burnt-out tobacco…
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Two years on from Australia’s bold psychedelic experiment, here are our concerns
While a new Melbourne trial finds psilocybin-assisted therapy beneficial for the mental health of terminally ill patients, Australia’s broader experiment with medical psychedelics faces challenges. Our analysis raises concerns over a patchwork of regulations, unlawful promotion, and the potential for patient harm, and urging improvements to the authorised prescriber scheme.
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Could a national tobacco retail licensing scheme help to combat illicit tobacco in Australia?
High tobacco excise has fueled a costly black market, creating what one economist calls a ‘dumb trifecta’ of crime, poorer health, and lost revenue. With inconsistent state laws seemingly failing, this post explores if a single, national tobacco retail licensing scheme could be a more effective solution.
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Innovation down under 1: what has Australia been doing in tobacco control recently?
As discussed in another post, there has been so much vaping law reform in Australia over the past couple of years that it’s easy to overlook significant tobacco control law reforms. Since 2023, Australia has had a flagship, national tobacco control Act. The Public Health (Tobacco and Other Products) Act 2023 [PHTOP Act] consolidated previous…
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Tracing Australia’s vaping controls back to source
The regulation of vaping and e-cigarettes in Australia underwent significant reform during 2023-2024. This post, prepared for health law students, traces some of the most significant reforms back to their legislative sources. Broad overview Australia’s regulatory framework for vaping has three components. First, vaping goods are regulated under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 (Cth), under…
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Paradise at risk: recommendations to control tobacco and alcohol industry interference in Pacific Island Countries and Territories
This post was written by Matthew Catanzariti, Jessica Heaney and Oscar Loughnan Tobacco and alcohol represent significant threats to public health. The businesses that manufacture, distribute, and market these products to the public have irreconcilable interests to those that attempt to improve and protect public health. These businesses use coercive techniques, such as lobbying, tactical…
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What is sexsomnia? And how can it be used as a defence in court?
Over the past decade, ‘sexsomnia’ has been used as a defence in a number of Australian sexual assault trials. But how can sexsomnia be proved in court? And what do we know about this rare condition?
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Spill your guts, it could be good 4 u: Three ‘lessons’ doctors can learn from teenage girls
In Olivia Rodrigo’s sophomore album ‘Guts’ (2023), the pop artist centers the ‘messy emotions’ and mistakes she has made growing up. While Rodrigo’s fans have embraced this introspective approach, can medical practitioners learn anything from the process?
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Teenagers refusing life-saving cancer treatment for religious reasons
Should courts allow minors (<18 years) to refuse life-saving medical treatment for religious reasons? My students don’t all agree that respect for the personal autonomy of a minor who fully understands the consequences of their decision, is all that matters. But many of them do.
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How old’s too old to be a doctor? Why GPs and surgeons over 70 may need a health check to practise
Surging complaints against older doctors has prompted the Medical Board of Australia to propose reforms for this cohort. But haven’t we moved on from set retirement ages? And would this amount to discrimination?
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Legislative restrictions on irreversible surgery on intersex children in the ACT: An unsurprising development?
Over a number of decades, personal autonomy has become a dominant value in Australian medical law. Yet, as new legislation restricting intersex interventions illustrates, the content of personal autonomy is subtly changing.
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A small injection of strictness: The TGA’s clampdown on cosmetic injectables advertising
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) recently published updated guidance on advertising cosmetic injectables. It’s a reminder that advertising prescription drugs in Australia is prohibited. But what are the issues here?
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The first pig kidney has been transplanted into a living person. But we’re still a long way from solving organ shortages
Reports are increasing of patients receiving xenotransplanted organs under ‘compassionate use’ exemptions. The number of CRISPR/Cas9 genome edits are also increasing. But the science does not yet demonstrate ‘proof of principle.’
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Vaping law reform: Protecting the Pacific
Vaping is on the rise and governments are scrambling to respond. Guest authors Sophia Bleakley, Clare Gim and Helen Zhang analyse the issues.
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Nice piece Roger. Sam Egger’s recent paper on how the rise of vaping in NZ youth has slowed the decline…
“Clear the Air: Stronger Vaping Laws for a Healthier NSW” New South Wales (NSW) must take urgent action to align…
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Thanks for the link Simon, and reference to Egger et al. We have previously noted that daily vaping among 15-16…