21 April 2026
Event Date(s)/Period(s)
21 Apr 2026
Organised by:
The Centre for Medical Ethics and Law (CMEL)
Professor Kumaralingam Amirthalingam, from the National University of Singapore, spoke about his new book, titled Medical Negligence and the Duty to Advise: Beyond Autonomy (Hart Publishing, 2026). The book argues that an overemphasis on autonomy has distorted orthodox negligence principles, contributing to uncertainty and angst amongst healthcare professionals while eroding trust in the doctor–patient relationship.
The book takes the current discourse beyond autonomy, which focuses on the rights of patients, to agency and shared decision-making, which focus on the relationship between doctor and patient. The core argument is built on a review of the theoretical foundations of negligence and the philosophical conceptions of autonomy.
The book provocatively argues against a rights-based approach to negligence, which can be confrontational, in favour of a human obligations approach, which is collaborative, and thus well suited to the doctor–patient relationship. Drawing on theoretical analysis, the book identifies doctrinal anomalies in the duty of care, standard of care, causation and damage.
It critically analyses landmark UK Supreme Court cases, arguing that the law is increasingly detached from the realities of medical practice and reasonable expectations of patients. Professor Craig Purshouse, from the University of Hong Kong, was the chair of the seminar.
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