Reproductive Rights in Common Law Countries

Highly relevant for our times, this book analyses how contemporary law is applied to protect and promote the exercise of reproductive rights. Kerry O’Halloran addresses both the tighter constraints being placed upon healthcare access and the significant developments that assist procreation in leading common law democracies.

Influenced by shifting cultural contexts, the chapters provide a framework based around law, policy and principles for comparing and contrasting the modern practice relating to reproductive rights in Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. O’Halloran explores the leap forward in the availability and efficiency of IVF, the surge in recourse to overseas commercial surrogacy, advances in genetic editing and the implications of recent case law developments including the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Examining the rising rates of maternal and infant mortality, the book highlights the widening gap across the wealthiest nations and their indigenous populations.

Reproductive Rights in Common Law Countries is an essential read for scholars and students of family law, gender and the law, health law and sociology. Policymakers and healthcare professionals seeking to better understand developments in the field will also benefit from its investigation of international legislation and leading cases.