ABOUT AABHL
The Australasian Association of Bioethics and Health Law (AABHL) is Australia and New Zealand’s leading organisation concerned with issues of bioethics and health law. Its members come from many disciplines including medicine, nursing, law, ethics, philosophy, healthcare administration, allied health and complementary healthcare. AABHL encourages those with a professional interest in the relationship between law, bioethics, health care, public health, and global health governance, to become members.
AABHL was formed in 2009 from the amalgamation of the two leading Australasian organisations concerned with bioethical issues: the Australasian Bioethics Association and the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Health Law and Ethics, both established in the early 1990s.
AABHL Conference
7th – 9th December 2025
Manawa, Christchurch,
Aotearoa / New Zealand
We are thrilled to announce this years’ annual AABHL conference will be returning to New Zealand for the first time since 2019! Join us 7-9 December 2025 for the Australasian Association of Bioethics and Health Law Conference in Christchurch, Ōtautahi New Zealand—a vibrant city known for its picturesque gardens, flourishing creative scene, innovation and rich heritage.
Hosted by the Bioethics Centre at the University of Otago, this gathering provides a valuable platform for interdisciplinary collaboration and open exchange of ideas and a chance to meaningfully connect with others. Join us for an incredible lineup of engaging presentations, riveting keynotes and thought-provoking panels. Call for Abstracts now open! Topics may include (but are not limited to):
- Professional Ethics
- Medical Law
- Health Equity and Justice
- Mental Health
- Genetics and Genomic
- Environment and Health
- Technology, AI, and Data Ethics
- Indigenous Ethics and Philosophy
- Clinical Ethics
- Animal Ethics
- Global Health
- Reproductive Ethics and Law
- End of Life Ethics and Decision-Making
- Research Ethics and Regulation
- Cultural Safety in Health
Who Should Attend?
This conference is targeted at academics and practitioners working in professions and disciplines including all aspects of healthcare, policy development, medico-legal, education, ethics/philosophy, and research.
Call for abstracts extended to the 17th of July!
You can find out more at our conference website – https://aabhl2025.w.events4you.currinda.com/ – or click the button below:
2025 AABHL Student Essay Prize
You submit an essay through the conference Abstract portal – https://aabhl2025.w.events4you.currinda.com/ – or click the button below:
The following prizes are available to full-time students attending and presenting at the AABHL Conference. Students are required to submit a full essay not exceeding 5000 words to be considered for the prizes.
The winner(s) will be invited to present their paper at this year’s conference and will be offered a complimentary registration to attend. The prize will also provide one year’s subscription to AABHL membership. The winner(s) are strongly encouraged to submit their essays to the Journal of Bioethical Inquiry for consideration for publication through the online manuscript submission system at http://www.editorialmanager.com/jbin/default.asp. They will be reviewed via the journal’s standard review process. Mention should be made in the covering letter that the paper has been awarded the John McPhee or Max Charlesworth award, which ever applies.
John McPhee (Law) Prize
Paper Eligibility: Health Law and Ethics: a topic related to health, law, and ethics.
Max Charlesworth (Bioethics) Prize
Paper Eligibility: Bioethics: ethical issues arising in relation to medicine, the health sciences, or health care in general from any disciplines that offer a perspective on such issues, including philosophy, bioethics, law, social theory, sociology, anthropology, psychology, feminism, linguistics, cultural studies, history, literary theory and literature.
Criteria & Assessment
Only winning submissions will be invited to present at the AABHL Conference. If you would like your work to be considered for general programming, please submit as an abstract via the online abstract submission on the Call for Papers Page on the Conference Website.
Length: Must not exceed 5000 words. References not included in word count.
Submission or Conformity Requirements on the Paper or Essay: Essay should conform to the requirements for submission to the Journal of Bioethical Inquiry and submitted as a word document through the abstract submission portal by 17 July 2025.
Selection Panel: Two persons nominated by the AABHL committee and two members of the editorial board of the Journal of Bioethical Inquiry.
Criteria for Assessment: Criteria for assessment for both the John McPhee and the Max Charlesworth Prize include: evidence of academic scholarship, familiarity with the chosen area, rigour in presentation, originality
Become a Member of AABHL
Benefits of Membership Includes:
- Subscription to the Journal of Bioethical Inquiry (JBI)
- Members rates for conferences and workshops
- Access to information about current events and opinion in the field
- Collaboration with professionals and peers
- Access to special interest Streams and their activities
- Discount membership and conference rates for students
OUR SPONSORS
The Australasian Association of Bioethics and Health Law (AABHL) recognises the contributions of our important partners and sponsors who support our work:
