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overview
The 35th Annual Medico-Legal Congress will be held on 17-18 March 2026 at the Swissotel Sydney. The Congress is a key opportunity for professionals from both the medical and legal fields to come together and address the latest issues, trends, and challenges impacting their work.
The comprehensive program is designed for clinicians from multiple settings, legal professionals, medico-legal advisers, hospital representatives, insurers, in-house counsel, AHPRA representatives, medico legal societies, academics, and government officials. A cornerstone in the medico legal calendar: attendees will experience and learn from practical, in-depth discussions on emerging trends, regulatory changes, and real-world case studies that impact your practice.
2026 Key Highlights:
- Health Law Updates: Navigate the evolving landscape of practitioner misconduct regulations, understand the implications of non-delegable duty in healthcare settings, and stay current with the latest legal frameworks affecting medical practice across Australia.
- Regulation & Innovation: Explore critical developments in medicine prescribing protocols, examine the legal implications of AI Scribe technology in clinical documentation, and address the medico-legal challenges arising from Australia’s ongoing workforce crisis in healthcare.
- Clinical Risk & Liability: Gain insights into the latest challenges in clinical negligence cases, professional liability issues, and coronial inquest proceedings, while exploring emerging medico-legal considerations that are reshaping modern healthcare delivery and patient care standards.
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.
2026 Speakers
Magistrate Ken Archer
Coroner, ACT Coroner’s Court
Carly Kind
Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
Professor Erwin Loh
President, Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (RACMA), Director of Medical Services, Monash Health/Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD
Prof Marie Bismark
Consultant Psychiatrist and Health Lawyer, Barwon Health
Dr Sidney Chandrasiri
Executive Director Medical Services, Department of Health Tasmania
Robyn Langham AM
Chief Medical Adviser, TGA
Dr Jamie Orchard
General Counsel, AHPRA
Hester Wilson
GP, Chief Addiction Medicine Specialist, NSW Health
Bill Madden
Senior Legal Counsel, Carroll & O'Dea Lawyers, Adjunct Professor, Australian Centre for Health Law Research (QUT)
Darran Foo
Co-Deputy Chair - Digital Health & Innovation SIG, RACGP
Dr Nisha Khot
Clinical Director O&G, Peninsula Health
Dr Marija Kirjanenko
Emergency Physician, Eastern Health and Victorian Virtual Emergency, Mental Health Tribunal, Victoria
Butho Moyo
Mental Health Lead, Victorian Virtual Emergency Department
Lauren Cooper
Senior Social Worker, RPA Virtual
Dr Malcolm Linsell
Specialist Plastic Surgeon
Professor Tina Cockburn
Director, Australian Centre for Health Law Research
Professor William Rawlinson AM
Senior Medical Virologist, Director of Serology, Virology and OTDS Laboratories (SAViD), NSW Health Pathology Randwick
Dan Mabon
CEO/DON, Wyndham Clinic Private Hospital
Penelope June Weller
Health Law Professor, RMIT, Mental Health Tribunal Victoria
Julie Shooter
Special Counsel & Head of Health and Medical Law, Lander & Rogers
Ruanne Brell
Senior Legal Advisor, Avant Mutual
Dr. Owen Bradfield
Chief Medical Officer, MIPS
Nimesh Piyatissa
CEO & Co-founder, AKURU iScribe
Emma Baker
Special Counsel, Barry Nilsson
Dr Michael Ryan
Director, Sydney Specialist Physiotherapy Centre
Agenda
Pricing
Workshop
Duty of Candour Masterclass: A Step-by-Step Guide from Adverse Events to System Learning
16th March 2026 | 9:00am – 12:00pm | Swissotel Sydney
When a patient safety event occurs, how do hospitals and health services respond – and what can we learn from the process?
This session brings together medical and legal perspectives to examine how adverse events are identified, reviewed, and communicated. Drawing on real-world examples, we’ll explore what happens from the moment an incident is classified through to open disclosure, regulatory reporting, and review.
With more than 438,000 adverse events reported in Australian public hospitals in 2021–2022, understanding how Serious Adverse Patient Safety Events (SAPSE) and Sentinel Events are defined and investigated is vital for both clinicians and lawyers. We’ll discuss the practical operation of the Statutory Duty of Candour, how open disclosure supports transparency and trust, and what happens when these systems intersect with medico-legal processes.
Through a case study and comparison with the UK’s experience, we’ll show how collaboration, early communication, and system-level learning can strengthen outcomes for patients, practitioners, and health services alike.
Facilitator: Bree Knoester, Principal and Founder, Brave Legal
Bree Knoester is the Principal Lawyer and Founder of Brave Legal. With more than 20 years’ experience supporting patients after safety events as both a barrister and solicitor, she has a deep understanding of how medicine and law intersect. A trauma-informed lawyer and advocate, Bree focuses on promoting open communication in the aftermath of adverse events. She regularly teaches on expert evidence and giving evidence in court, helping doctors and lawyers better understand each other’s roles and responsibilities.
Testimonials
“The medicolegal congress is a unique way of finding links and information from others working in the juncture between medical and legal practice. The topics, speakers and organization allow meaningful insights to be gained over a short period of time.”
– Delegate 2025
“It was is an outstanding event that brings together experts from both the medical and legal fields to discuss critical issues at the intersection of healthcare and law. It provides invaluable insights into emerging medico-legal challenges, case law updates, and best practices. The sessions are highly informative, featuring thought-provoking discussions led by industry leaders. Beyond the knowledge gained, the congress offers an excellent platform for networking with peers, sharing experiences, and staying ahead in this rapidly evolving field. I highly recommend it to anyone involved in medico-legal practice.”
– Delegate 2025
“Fantastic event! Great mixture of topics and expertise. Valuable insights.”
– Delegate 2025
“I have just returned from your two-day conference, and I feel it is only appropriate that I take the time to give my personal thanks for such an excellent event. I recognize that it must have taken a great deal of time to plan and organize, and it was time well spent. With speakers of the highest standard as well as the introduction of a specialist key note speaker, it was the most memorable of all conferences. The organizers kept to the timing of each speaker. The venue was a perfect location for our visitors from interstate to attend and participate, as was the food. Your team made the event a joyful occasion. The overall quality of this year’s 33rd medicolegal conference was outstanding. Congratulations, and thank you.”
– Delegate 2024
“Diverse range of topics and speakers, fantastic/respectful discussion, great chairs each day”.
– Delegate 2023
“The congress provided great opportunities to meet and float research ideas which further reminds us of the importance of communication in healthcare”.
– Delegate 2023
“Very broad coverage of medico legal topics. Very easy to understand and no overlapping”.
– Delegate 2023
Sponsorship & Exhibition Opportunities
The Annual Medico-Legal Congress is one of Australia’s leading events for the medico-legal community, offering a unique platform to engage with key industry stakeholders and senior decision-makers across this industry.
As a sponsor or exhibitor, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with a diverse audience, share insights, and foster meaningful conversations about the latest developments in the field. This congress is not just about showcasing products and services; it’s about building lasting relationships and contributing to the future of medico-legal practice in Australia.
For more information on how to get involved, please contact;
Lily Doherty
Sponsorship Manager
+61 2 9080 4340
[email protected]
Insights
When regulatory decisions are challenged – insights from Dr Jamie Orchard of Ahpra
Read more >>
Informing decisions about medical negligence in complex infectious diseases cases
Read more >>
What do NSW health workers need to know about the new voluntary assisted dying laws?
Read more >>
Why more medico legal defendants are winning on causation
Read more >>
How might voluntary assisted dying legislation in NSW compare with other jurisdictions?
Read more >>
Wrongful birth damages – an interview with Bill Madden
Read more >>
Professor Euan Wallace’s keynote address at the Medico Legal Congress
Read more >>
The role and major challenges of a medical legal counsel
Read more >>
What are the Trends and the Future of Medical & Health Law?
Read more >>
The black, white and grey area of assisted suicide
Read more >>
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.
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 an annual subscription to exclusive On-Demand session recordings from all of our related healthcare events*. Login information will be sent post event. For more information visit our Streamly page.
* 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.
when & where
contact
Still have a question?
Speaking Enquiries
Tammie Wang
+61 2 9080 4330
[email protected]
Sponsorship & Exhibition Opportunities
Lily Doherty
+61 2 9080 4340
[email protected]
Marketing & Media Enquiries
Francesco Giannetto
[email protected]