Richard Huxtable (born 1974) is the Director and Professor in Medical Ethics and Law at the Centre for Ethics in Medicine, at the

University of Bristol , mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'') , established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter , type ...

. He is known principally for his work on legal and ethical issues in end-of-life decision-making and euthanasia, surgery and

paediatrics Pediatrics ( also spelled ''paediatrics'' or ''pædiatrics'') is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, paediatrics covers many of their youth until the ...

and is the author of a number of books on these themes; ''Law, Ethics and Compromise at the Limits of Life: To Treat or Not to Treat?'' (2012), ''Euthanasia, Ethics and the Law: From Conflict to Compromise'' (2007) and (with Dickenson & Parker) ''The Cambridge Medical Ethics Workbook'' (CUP, 2nd edn, 2010). He has also produced numerous chapters, and articles for both academic journals and mainstream newspapers. Huxtable is best known for his controversial position on the role of "principled compromise" in responding to conflict over the care of a critically ill, incapacitated patient. Huxtable has argued that the law governing both the welfare (or "best interests") of the patient and any wishes they might have conveyed, via an "advance directive" or through the appointment of a "lasting power of attorney", frequently fail to furnish clinicians and families with the guidance they require in these difficult cases. He has proposed that there is a case for "principled compromise" here, and has argued for greater ethical engagement, through a reinvigorated system of clinical ethics support, in which committees work alongside the courts to resolve the conflicts that can arise at the limits of life.

Education and career

Born and educated in South Wales, Richard Huxtable studied Law at the

University of Nottingham , mottoeng = A city is built on wisdom , established = 1798 – teacher training college1881 – University College Nottingham1948 – university status , type = Public , chancellor ...

before completing a PhD on Assisted Dying and English Law at the

, where he now teaches. He has held visiting positions at the Ethox Centre in the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

, the Centre for Biomedical Ethics in the National University of Singapore and the

Hastings Center The Hastings Center is an independent, nonpartisan bioethics research institute and think tank based in Garrison, New York. It was instrumental in establishing the field of bioethics and is among the most prestigious bioethics and health policy i ...

, New York. A long-standing participant in clinical ethics consultation, Huxtable is a member of the UHBT Clinical Ethics Advisory Group and a Trustee of both the UK Clinical Ethics Network and of the National Council for Palliative Care. His research has been funded by organisations including the

Wellcome Trust The Wellcome Trust is a charitable foundation focused on health research based in London, in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1936 with legacies from the pharmaceutical magnate Henry Wellcome (founder of one of the predecessors of Glaxo ...

and the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...

and he has given invited presentations at the

Royal Society of Medicine The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) is a medical society in the United Kingdom, headquartered in London. History The Society was established in 1805 as Medical and Chirurgical Society of London, meeting in two rooms in barristers’ chamber ...

and the

Royal College of Surgeons The Royal College of Surgeons is an ancient college (a form of corporation) established in England to regulate the activity of surgeons. Derivative organisations survive in many present and former members of the Commonwealth. These organisations a ...

. He has given expert evidence to The Commission on Assisted Dying which was run by the UK think tank Demos.

Publications

Books

*''Euthanasia: All That Matters'' (2013, London: Hodder). *''Law, Ethics and Compromise at the Limits of Life: To Treat or Not to Treat?'' (2012, London: Routledge). * (with D. Dickenson, & M. Parker) ''The Cambridge Medical Ethics Workbook'' (2010, 2nd edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press). *''Euthanasia, Ethics and the Law: From Conflict to Compromise'' (2007, London: Routledge-Cavendish).

Contributions

*(Baxter, M.G. Brennan, Y. Coldicott and M. Möller, with D. Bowman, R. Huxtable, and B. Shannon) ''The Practical Guide to Medical Ethics and Law: For Junior Doctors and Medical Students'' (2005, 2nd edition, Cheshire: PasTest Ltd),

Other publications

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Huxtable, Richard 1974 births Living people Academics of the University of Bristol British ethicists Bioethicists Medical ethicists Alumni of the University of Nottingham