Alex RK[Shameless plug warning]. Three new books have landed on my desk in short order, in which chapters I have written / co-written appear, and which may be of interest. In alphabetical order, with appropriate publishers’ blurbs, they are:
Mental Capacity Law, Sexual Relationships, and Intimacy (edited by Beverley Clough and Laura Pritchard-Jones)
Questions as to the mental capacity of an individual to consent to sex are an increasingly important aspect of legal scholarship and professional practice for those working in care. Recent case law has added new layers of complexity, requiring that a person must be able to understand that the other person needs to consent and can withdraw that consent. While this has been welcomed for asserting the importance of the interpersonal dynamics of sex, it has significant implications for practice and for the day-to-day lives of people with cognitive impairments.
This collection brings together academics, practitioners and organizations to consider the challenges posed by the current legal framework, and future directions for law, policy and practice.
(My chapter, co-written with Allegra Enefer and Alan Cusack is entitled “Sexual Capacity: Are There Questions the Law Should Not Ask?”),
Research Handbook on Law, Society and Ageing (edited by Sue Westwood and Nancy J Knaeur)
The Editors of the volume, together with expert contributors from Australasia, Canada, Europe, UK, US, and elsewhere, adopt an interdisciplinary approach to the study of law, society and ageing to improve understanding on key issues in these fields. Organised thematically, chapters examine issues such as law, ageing and human rights; specialist legal services for older people; work and pensions; access to justice; health and wellbeing; care and support. Written in an accessible style, the Research Handbook on Law, Society and Ageing recognises diversity amongst older people and their various social contexts, showcasing debates on how these complexities should be addressed.
Broad in scope and including contributions from a wide range of social, legal, gerontological, health, social welfare and social work disciplines, this Research Handbook is invaluable for scholars and practitioners in law, health, and social care. Activists and those interested in advocating for the rights of older people will also find the wide-ranging topics to be highly informative.
(My chapter, co-written with Annabel Price, is entitled “Age-related dementia and the law: the challenges of mental capacity and equality”).
The Reality of Assisted Dying: Understanding the Issues (edited by Julian Hughes and Ilora Finlay)
At a critical moment in the UK debate, this book provides up-to-date reflections from a broad variety of international experts on the profoundly important issues that surround changes in the law in any jurisdiction in connection with assisted dying and considers the realities that surround such changes.
The Reality of Assisted Dying covers all the important issues in the debates about assisted suicide and euthanasia. This includes thoughts on the role of the law, discussion of important philosophical and ethical concepts, investigating the various issues that arise in the practice of medicine and palliative care, and scrutinizing concerns about definitions, coercion, consequences and safety.
This book:
- Provides up-to-date data, evidence and reflections from professionals from countries where assisted dying has been legalized;
- Takes a fresh look at the arguments around legalization of assisted dying;
- Shows how a change in the law must take account of all those who will be affected, including families and those who will feel compelled to participate by assisting suicides or performing euthanasia;
- Shows the problems and dangers of embedding assisted dying within healthcare, and explores how alternative socio-legal procedures would improve legitimacy and monitoring for patients and their families.
The book is relevant to a variety of intellectual disciplines and to political and social debates both in the UK and internationally, as well as being of interest to general readers and students studying the many relevant subjects, from medicine, to law, sociology, politics, philosophy and ethics.
(My chapter is entitled “Assisted dying – the capacity complexities”)
