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overview
Returning for its 17th year, the Obstetric Medico-Legal Conference is a key event in the calendar for legal and medical professionals involved in obstetric care and those committed to improving maternal and infant care quality and safety. The conference will cover a range of topics, including birth injuries, medical errors in prenatal and postnatal care, and emerging medico-legal challenges in obstetrics.
This event provides a unique platform for legal and medical experts to share their knowledge and experiences, discuss emerging trends, and network with colleagues from across the industry. Attendees will also be able to participate in interactive sessions designed to enhance their understanding of both legal and medical aspects of obstetrics care.
With a focus on managing high-risk pregnancies, ensuring timely transfers, and addressing key legal and medical issues, the conference is ideal for those involved in the coordination, delivery, and regulation of maternity services.
Who Attends?
The Obstetric Medico-Legal Conference attracts a diverse audience of professionals dedicated to improving maternal and neonatal care. Attendees include obstetricians, gynaecologists, midwives, nurses, medical and legal practitioners, healthcare administrators, policy makers, and insurers.
KEY TOPICS INCLUDE
- Inclusive Maternity Care for Women
- RANZCOG Update
- Lucy Letby: Lessons from the UK
- What to do When Your Patient Doesn’t Follow your Advice: Declining Recommended Care
- Prenatal and Postnatal Care Current Trends and Innovations in Reducing Birth Injuries and Medical Errors
- Wrong Place- Wrong Time: Pitfalls in the Delay of Transfer of Care for High-Risk Pregnancy
- Obstetric Civil Liability: Breach of Confidence & Privacy in Maternity Care
- Safety Implications for Women Hoping for a Vaginal Birth After a Caesarean Section (VBAC)
- IVF Group Action Claim
- Navigating Risk at the Coalface
- Navigating Coronial Investigations and Inquests in Obstetrics: Trends, Lessons, and Practical Guidance
- AI and Obstetric Care: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
- Birth Trauma and the Push for Normal Birth: Lessons for Policy, Practice and Liability
- Obstetric Care Outside of the Hospital: The Rise of Home Births, Free Births and Doula’s
- Genetic and Carrier Screening in Pregnancy
- The Reality of Giving Birth in 2025
- Analysis of 100 Breaches
- When Things Go Wrong: Legal Defence in Maternal & Neonatal Harm Cases
- What Does It Truly Mean to Partner with Women in Maternity Care?
Why Attend?
The Congress brings together professionals from both the legal and medical sectors to discuss practical, current issues. It’s an opportunity to:
- Stay informed on emerging challenges at the intersection of law and healthcare.
- Network with professionals from across the medico-legal field.
Gain practical knowledge to help manage complex medico-legal issues in your daily work. - Learn from expert speakers who will cover key issues impacting your practice.
- If you are a lawyer, clinician, or any other professional working in medico-legal fields, this Congress provides a useful forum to stay updated, discuss challenges, and gain insights that can be applied directly to your work.
Register Your Interest
To receive updates on speaker announcements, early bird discounts, and the release of the agenda, register your interest here.
CPD Endorsed Activity
Speakers
Professor Boon Lim
Vice President, RANZCOG
Dr Ian Freckelton AO KC
Barrister, The University of Melbourne
Danielle Corden
General Counsel, Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne
Dr Charles Su
Consultation Liaison Consultant Psychiatrist, Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne
Marie-Clare Elder
Partner, Sparke Helmore
Amanda Seguna
Partner, Lander & Rogers
Julie Shooter
Special Counsel & Head of Health and Medical Law, Sydney, Lander & Rogers
Janine McIlwraith
Principal Solicitor, Margalit Lawyers
A/Professor Stefan Kane
Medical Director of Maternity Services, Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne
A/Professor Julia Unterscheider
Consultant Obstetrician and Director of Birth Centre, Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne
Dr Hazel Keedle
Senior Lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery, VBAC & Birth Trauma Researcher | Author of "Birth after Caesarean" & "A Clinicians Guide to Birth after Caesarean", Western Sydney University
A/Prof Daniel Challis
Senior Staff Specialist in Maternal Fetal Medicine, Royal Hospital for Women and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Conjoint Associate Professor, UNSW
A/Professor Vinay S. Rane
Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Melbourne Mothers
Dr Lucy Bowyer
Maternal Fetal Medicine Subspecialist, Ultrasound Care
Fiona Reid
Member, RN/ BaMid/MaMid/ Endorsed (Credentialled) Midwife, Waminda Senior Clinical Manager, Birthing on Country, Clinical Advisory Committee, ABTA, Consumer Group Midwifery Clinical Consultant, Better Births Illawarra
Professor Tina Cockburn
Director, Australian Centre for Health Law Research
Daniel Opare
Practice Leader – Medical Law Victoria | Special Counsel, Shine Lawyers
Tom Ballantyne
Principal Lawyer, Maurice Blackburn
Dr Harsha Ananthram
Senior Staff Specialist O&G, Pregnancy Connect Medical Lead, Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD, Clinical Senior Lecturer, University of Wollongong, Co-Chair Maternity & Neonatal Network, Agency for Clinical Innovation, NSW Health
Professor Ryan Hodges MBBS (Hons) PhD FRANZCOG CMFM
Program Director, Women's & Newborn, Monash Health, Adjunct Professor, Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Monash University, Honorary Clinical Associate, The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research
Dr Glenn Gardener
Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist and Director of the Mater Centre for Maternal Fetal Medicine, Mater Mothers’ Hospital
Ian Murray
Practice Lead – Medical Negligence, The Law Office of Conrad Curry
Melissa Freestun
Principal Psychologist, Self Psychology
A/Professor Danny Tucker
Obstetrician, Gynaecologist and Medical Director of Women’s and Children's Services, Townsville University Hospital & James Cook University
A/Professor Greg Duncombe
Director, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Logan Hospital
Ruanne Brell
Senior Legal Advisor, Avant Mutual
Partners
Supporting Partner 
Pricing
Sponsorship & Exhibition Opportunities
Don’t miss this opportunity to get involved in the Obstetric Medico Legal Conference! Showcase thought leadership in the program or explore our brand opportunites associated with the event, get in touch today to learn more!
There are many opportunities for networking including social events such as networking drinks, lunch and refreshments breaks making this not just a conference… but an all-encompassing industry experience.
Sponsorship or exhibiting will allow your organization to:
- Build relationships with potential and existing clients
- Generate leads from a high-level, targeted audience
- Close sales in a more personal manner than via phone
- Demonstrate your product in person
- Network with the industry
- Build brand awareness
To see what is on offer please contact:
Danielle Newman
Senior Business Development Manager
E: [email protected]
T: +61 (2) 9080 4318
Insights
Improving the accessibility of drugs for pregnant women
Reproductive age women make up a substantial portion of the general population, yet are seldom represented in clinical trials for pharmaceuticals – including ones that cater to common pregnancy-related ailments. Read more >>
The appropriate way for doctors to handle surrogacy births – insights from a surrogate mother and lawyer
The world of surrogacy is often a foreign one to health professionals, with many clinicians feeling as though they are in treading in a legal quagmire when handling the care of surrogate mothers. Read more >>
Why all clinicians need to learn trauma-informed care
Clinicians have long known that women who misuse drugs and alcohol, experience domestic violence, or have a history of trauma, are considered ‘vulnerable’ along the child-bearing continuum, but a striking proportion have not yet received training on how to care for this patient cohort. Read more >>
How this male midwife is building trust with his patients
Read more >>
Using technology for better obstetric decision making
Read more >>
Increasing maternal awareness of DFM – a suitable stillbirth prevention measure?
Read more >>
Rethinking morbidity and mortality review meetings in maternity care
Read more >>
Perinatal mortality cases – what can we do better?
Read more >>
ConnectMe + Streamly
ConnectMe • Networking enhanced
All of our events utilise a bespoke dynamic smartphone app, ConnectMe – which guarantees attendees a premium event experience. Logins are sent prior to the conference commencement allowing you to check who’s attending, schedule in meetings and catch ups, participate in live Q+A and interactive polls, and much more. ConnectMe ensures you never miss a beat prior, during and post event.
Streamly • On-Demand video vault
Streamly is a new video platform from Informa Connect – hosting hours of session recordings from our events and more. Select the Streamly add-on at the checkout to receive year round access to exclusive On-Demand session recordings from all of our related healthcare events*. Login information will be sent post event.
* Note: In a minority of cases, speakers may request their sessions to be excluded from Streamly access.
Sustainability
Our Commitment to Sustainability
In Australia, we are committed to running our events in an environmentally and socially responsible way. Across Informa Connect we are focusing on the short and long-term sustainability impacts we have on customers and colleagues alongside the communities we work in.
We recognise that it’s not just about the way we produce our events and products but recognising that we have a role to play in providing a space to work in partnership together with our markets to inspire the sustainable development of the industries we serve.
To read more on our latest sustainability reports and Faster Forward initiatives – click here.
Event Code Of Conduct
We want everyone who comes to our events to have a great experience. This code explains our expectations and rules, which includes general good practice behaviour, and how to report anything witnessed or experienced that goes against them. Read our Event Code of Conduct here.
when & where
contact
Still have a question?
General Information & Registration
Customer Service
+61 2 9080 4307
[email protected]
Speaking Enquiries
Katrina Bowns
Senior Conference Producer
+61 2 9080 4322
[email protected]
Sponsorship & Exhibition Opportunities
Danielle Newman
+61 2 9080 4318
[email protected]
Marketing & Media Enquiries
Libbie Sinclair
[email protected]