Introducing Practical Health Law on Osler

There are moments early in your medical career when you realise that clinical knowledge alone isn’t enough.

You’re asked to complete a death certificate for the first time. A nurse wants to know whether a death needs to be reported to the Coroner. A patient asks who can see their records. You’re unsure whether a teenager can consent to treatment without a parent present. Someone hints at domestic violence, and you’re not certain what your legal obligations are.

None of these questions feel abstract — they arise quietly, often late in the day, and usually without warning.

Health law underpins all of these moments. It governs how we treat patients, how we document care, how we prescribe, how we report risk, and how we protect both our patients and ourselves. Yet for many doctors, particularly interns and junior registrars, it remains one of the hardest areas to access in a clear, practical way.

That’s why we’re releasing Practical Health Law, a new free feature on Osler designed to make Australian medicolegal issues easier to understand, easier to navigate, and easier to apply in real clinical settings .

Built for the realities of junior doctor life

Practical Health Law is written with interns and junior doctors firmly in mind. It focuses on the situations you are most likely to encounter on the wards, on-call, and after hours — not theoretical legal debate or dense legislation.

Each section provides a plain-language overview of a topic, followed by carefully curated links to reliable, up-to-date resources. Where national frameworks exist, they are explained. Where laws vary between states and territories, this is clearly flagged, with links to jurisdiction-specific guidance where available.

The aim isn’t to turn doctors into lawyers. It’s to help you recognise when the law matters, understand your responsibilities, and know where to go next when you need more detail or advice.

What’s included

The feature spans the core medicolegal areas that most commonly cause uncertainty in practice. It covers consent and capacity, including adolescent autonomy and the concept of the mature minor. It explains privacy and confidentiality, including the risks around accessing records, taking clinical images on personal devices, and discussing cases outside direct care.

It walks through death verification, completion of Medical Certificates of Cause of Death, and when and how to report a death to the Coroner. It addresses child safety and mandatory reporting, domestic and family violence, and the limits of confidentiality in situations involving risk.

There is clear guidance on prescribing law, including authority prescriptions, Schedule 8 medications, real-time prescription monitoring systems, and the layered legal frameworks that govern high-risk drugs. It also outlines the role of medical indemnity insurance, complaints processes, and how doctors are supported when things go wrong.

End-of-life law, including voluntary assisted dying, mental health legislation, organ donation, and transplantation are included, with links to high-quality external modules and podcasts for deeper learning.

Throughout, the emphasis is on what doctors need to know at the point of care — and how to protect patients while practising safely and professionally.

A living resource, not a checklist

Health law is complex, and it changes. National legislation evolves, state regulations differ, and workplace policies add further layers. Practical Health Law is designed as a living resource that can be updated as guidance changes, rather than a static summary that quickly becomes outdated.

Importantly, it also reinforces a simple but often overlooked principle: when you’re unsure how the law applies in a real situation, you should ask for help. That may be a senior colleague, your supervisor, or your medical indemnity provider. Knowing when to escalate is part of safe practice.

Relevant for IMGs and beyond

For international medical graduates, many of these topics are mandatory components of the ORIG-30 orientation requirements. Practical Health Law brings these areas together in one place, making it easier to understand the Australian legal context and meet training expectations.

While it’s designed with junior doctors in mind, the content is relevant to any doctor who wants a clear refresher on medicolegal responsibilities — particularly in areas that don’t arise every day, but carry significant consequences when they do.

Free and open to all doctors

Practical Health Law is completely free for all doctors. You simply need to register for an Osler account to access it.

You can explore the feature here:
👉 https://oslercommunity.com/detail?key=health-law

As always, we welcome feedback and suggestions. Health law is a shared responsibility, and this resource will continue to evolve with input from the medical community.

If there’s a topic you’d like us to add or clarify, let us know.