The 19th World Congress on Medical Law

Call for papers

The 19^th World Congress on Medical Law

Maceió, Brazil, 7^th-10^th August 2012

The World Association for Medical Law is pleased to invite professionals from all over the world to take part in its bi-annual World Congress on Medical Law.

The congress is a meeting place for experts from around the globe: Health care professionals, policy makers, hospital managers, Physicians, nurses, social workers, psychologists and other health care providers together with jurists, lawyers, judges, legal advisors and legal policy designers and makers. 

It is a platform to share and exchange ideas, experiences and thoughts, and promote international deliberation on Medical Law, Ethics and Legal Medicine matters.

Online Submission of abstracts, posters, sessions and workshops: http://www.2012wcml.com/

• Abstracts of no more than 250 words should be submitted until May 31^st 2012.
•  Posters submission deadline: June 10^th 2012
•  Full Sessions (4-6 lectures) and workshops (up to 2 hours) can be offered as well.

Abstract Submission deadline: May 31^st 2012.

Acceptance will be announced within 2 months of abstract submission and no later than July 15^th 2012.

All the main themes are available at the Congress Website, as well as registration with discount rates.

Eduardo Dantas

Vice-President of the World Association for Medical Law

President of the 19th World Congress on Medical Law

WAML Newsletter

André Pereira
Guest Editor for WAML

Fotografias de Dezembro de 2011 - Torres Vedras

World Psychiatric Association Section on Psychiatry, Law and Ethics

The World Psychiatric Association Section on Psychiatry, Law and Ethics aims to collect, analyse, present and disseminate information concerning the intersection of psychaitry and mental health with ethics and the law.

As a  framework for stimulating the sharing of knowledge, experiences and new ideas, the section deals with issues such as:

·        The formulation of legislation relating to mental health which may require review and re-evaluation.

·        Ethical issues regarding patietns' rights,  mental health treatment, clinical research and education and discussing an, evaluating or even formulating ethical guidelines in these areas. 

·        Ethical aspects of forensic psychiatry.

The section works  towards achieving its objectives through the establishment of working relations with national and international organizations; Organization of scientific meetings; Organization of Symposia; Development of educational programs, guidelines and publications; Development of proposals for adoption as WPA consensus and position statements; Promotion and conduction of international collaborative research.

The section works closely with the World Association for Medical Law and the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics among other world leading associations and among its members are leading professionals from various countries.

During the National Congress on Psychiaty and Mental Health, held in Coimbra, at the end of November 2011, the Section held a symposia, together with the Portuguese national association for Psychiatry and Mental Health regarding Capacity and Competence: a major human rights related clinical and psychaitric concept. 

The law allows competent persons to perform legal acts such as selling a house, or even getting married; and at the same time can view a competent defendant as a person who may be fit to stand trial for a criminal offence. When competence is being  challenged, the mental health experts provide the court with their views on the person's capacity. Their professional opinion about capacity may be a crucial element in these legal proceedings to determine whether the person is indeed competent, and thus the importance of a professional meeting between the clinicians and the jurists in this regard.