Medical Law Matters
Medical Law Matters is a legal podcast from Kennedys' Medical Law Group, hosted by Partner and Head of UK Medical Law Rob Tobin. The show features conversations with guest speakers on topics such as advance care planning, the Court of Protection, medical treatment decisions, and medical law statutes. It is aimed at listeners interested in UK medical law and includes sensitive discussions around medical conditions and treatment.
Episodes
9: The anatomy of an inquest: a legal walk-through
In this episode, Rob Tobin is joined by colleagues Dan Freeman, partner, and Indi Kaur, legal director, to discuss the anatomy of an inquest. Together, they explore what an inquest is, why they are held and how to navigate the coronial system, guiding listeners through each stage of the inquest from the initial referral to its conclusion.This podcast features sensitive content around mental healt
8: Can medical treatment ever be futile?
In this episode, Rob Tobin, partner and head of medical law at Kennedys, is joined by Professor Hugh Montgomery OBE, a professor of medicine and director of the Centre for Human Health and Performance at University College London, to discuss the concept of futility in medical treatment, looking at best interests, patient rights and autonomy, moral harm, resource allocation and more.This podcast f
7: Urgent serious medical treatment decisions: a legal walk through
In this episode, Rob Tobin is joined by colleagues, partner Dan Freeman and legal director Indi Kaur, to discuss how proceedings for an urgent Serious Medical Treatment case typically unfold, using a case study to illustrate key stages of the process.
6: Media scrutiny in high profile medical treatment cases
In this episode of Medical Law Matters, Rob Tobin is joined by Dr. Laura Nohavicka, a Consultant in Paediatric Palliative Medicine at Helen & Douglas House Children’s Hospice in Oxford, for an in-depth discussion on media scrutiny in high profile medical treatment cases.They consider the impact of the Abbasi Supreme Court Judgement; what impact scrutiny from the media has on staff and patients
5: Mind, autonomy and capacity
In this episode of Medical Law Matters, Rob Tobin is joined by two distinguished guests to explore the issue of mental capacity in the context of medical treatment decisions. Together, they unpack how capacity is assessed in practice and interrogate the deeper ethical questions surrounding autonomy, choice, and decision-making.Guest Speakers:Dr Ty Glover – Consultant Psychiatrist in Eating Disorde
4: The assisted dying bill
In this episode, recorded on 26 March 2025, we explore the complexities surrounding the Terminally Ill Adults End of Life Bill in England and Wales, commonly referred to as the Assisted Dying Bill. This proposed legislation raises fundamental questions about autonomy, medical ethics, and legal practicality.Rob Tobin is joined by Dan Freeman, fellow partner at Kennedys in the medical law team, to d
3: Treatment of eating disorders
In this episode, we delve into the complex intersection of medical law and eating disorders, joined by Dr Anna Conway-Morris, Consultant Psychiatrist at the Adult Eating Disorder Service at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust. Listen as we explore:
Capacity and patient autonomy: Understanding how eating disorders impact a patient's ability to make informed decisions about treatme
2: Advance care planning (part 2)
In episode 2 of the Medical Law Matters podcast, Rob Tobin continues his conversation with Dr Zoë Fritz on advance care planning. Together, they delve deeper into the topic, building on part one’s foundational discussion, and explore:
The ReSPECT (Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment) process: Its implementation across the UK and its role in aligning patient preferences with c
1: Advance care planning (part 1)
Welcome to episode 1 and the launch of our Medical Law Matters podcast.As the first in a two-part series on advance care planning, Partner and Head of UK Medical Law Rob Tobin speaks to Dr Zoe Fritz, Consultant Physician at Addenbrooke’s Hospital and Wellcome Fellow in Society and Ethics, University of Cambridge.Rob and Zoe discuss:
What is advance care planning?
Patient autonomy and choice
Clinic
