Join us in 2025 for the Australasian Association of Bioethics and Health Law Conference in Christchurch, New Zealand—a vibrant city known for its picturesque gardens, flourishing creative scene, innovation and rich heritage. Hosted by the Bioethics Centre at the University of Otago, this gathering provides a valuable platform for interdisciplinary collaboration and open exchange of ideas. Engage in compelling presentations, memorable keynotes, and constructive discussions across AABHL’s diverse streams: Clinical Ethics, Health Law, Teaching Ethics, Research and Innovation Ethics, Public Health Law & Ethics, Student and Early Career Researchers, and Empirical Ethics.
We invite you to share your insights and connect and reconnect with our broad community devoted to advancing scholarship and practice in bioethics and health law. We look forward to welcoming you to Christchurch, where tradition and innovation converge in an inspiring setting.
Lynley Anderson
Angela Ballantyne
Taryn Knox
Organising Committee 2025
Appointed KC 2000, Solicitor General 2006, Judge of the High Court 2012 and Court of Appeal 2019. Former roles include Chairman of ACC and the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal. Author of Medical Law in New Zealand (1993) and Fragile Foundations (May 2024 which explores the application of criminal law in pre and colonial NZ)
Vikki Entwistle is an interdisciplinary scholar who uses philosophy and social research to understand and address concerns about quality, ethics and social justice in healthcare, public health and care of the dead and bereaved. She is currently Professor in Health Services Research and Philosophy at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, where she contributes to research and teaching across health sciences, social sciences and arts and humanities domains. Recent projects include ‘But why is that better? An investigation of what philosophy and applied ethics can contribute to healthcare improvement’ and ‘Care in Funerals: developing a practical ethics of care for the dead and bereaved’ funded respectively by the Wellcome Trust and the UKRI Economic and Social Research Council. When not at work, Vikki enjoys walking and volunteering on a local nature reserve.
Dr Esther Willing (Ngāti Toarangatira, Ngāti Koata, Ngā Ruahine, Ngāi Tahu) is an Associate Professor in Hauora Māori and the Director of Kōhatu Centre for Hauora Māori. Her research interests include health policy and health systems research and she is passionate about improving Māori health outcomes and addressing health inequities in Aotearoa. She is currently involved in research on immunisation uptake and coverage for hapu māmā and tamariki, guidelines for prioritising intensive care resources to support equity and discourse and framing of Māori health.
Important Dates
Abstract Submission closes: 10th July 2025 (midnight NZT)
Authors advised by: 7th August 2025
Earlybird Registration ends: 7th September 2025
Authors Registered by: 31 October 2025
Presentation Slides submitted by: 24th November 2025
Conference Dates: 7-9 December 2025
Invitation to Submit
The conference is the Association’s premier meeting bringing together academics, researchers, experts, professionals, and early career researchers to share their knowledge, insights, and innovations in Bioethics and Health Law. The conference offers meaningful exchanges, discussions, and networking with professionals across our region and internationally. This conference is a crucial platform for advancing knowledge, fostering collaboration in medicine, nursing, allied health, health policy, law and ethics.
Presentation Formats
Presentation Streams
We encourage those with a professional interest in the relationship between law, bioethics, healthcare and public health to submit an abstract.
Topics may include, but are not limited to:
Abstract Guidelines
Presentations are encouraged to be focused on original research, case studies, frameworks, or practical applications relevant to the conference themes. Submissions will be reviewed by our Programme Committee to ensure the selection of high-quality contributions for presentation.
Presenter Registration
All presenters (including panellists and workshop facilitators) must register for the conference and pay the appropriate registration fee. Presenters also need to meet their own travel and accommodation costs. Note that Earlybird rates will be offered until 7 September 2025.
Correspondence
The submitting author will be the only point of contact for all communication regarding the abstract, including acceptance notification. All submitted abstracts should receive a confirmation email. For any questions please contact the Conference Organiser sally@events4you.co.nz.
Abstract Submission Instructions
Abstracts must be submitted via the online portal (see Submit Abstract button at top of Call for Abstracts Page on the Conference Website). If you have not used Currinda before you will be required to set up a profile. Please use the email address that you will be using to register for this event as this is linked to the abstract system.
From the Currinda Dashboard select the tab “Abstract” for Oral Presentation, Workshop or Panel Session. Select the tab “Paper” for The Student Essay Prize.
Changes can be made to your abstract up until the submission closing date. If you have made an error in your abstract, do not withdraw it, go back into the abstract and preview/edit the abstract. Only use the Withdraw Submission button if you want to cancel your abstract completely and no longer intend to submit an abstract.
1. Prepare your Abstract
2. Corresponding Author
Open the submission portal and enter the contact details of the corresponding author.
3. Abstract Submission Details
You will need to enter the following details for each abstract you submit:
Review & Selection Process
Open Peer-Review
The Programme Committee will peer review all submitted abstracts in open collaboration.
Selection Process
The Programme Committee will allocate presentations to the programme considering the score of the abstract, recommendations from reviewers, the author’s preference for presentation format, and the balance of the programme.
Abstract authors will be notified of acceptance, rejection or change of format via email at the date specified above. Presenters are then required to confirm their acceptance and their participation in the conference. Unsuccessful abstracts submitted for oral presentation will be offered a rapid-fire presentation if the selection criteria are met. No correspondence will be entered into as to why individual abstracts did not receive an oral presentation.
Scoring
All submissions will be reviewed against set criteria to ensure consistency and fairness in the review process:
Innovation: The novelty and uniqueness of the research, and its capacity to challenge, extend or add to knowledge in the field.
Overall Quality and Merit: Coherence, clarity, logic and structure of the abstract, clear conclusion, and adherence to formatting guidelines.
Relevance: Is the topic timely, does it address an important gap in knowledge, and/or is it relevant to current debates in bioethics and health law
Submission & Presentation Information
Authors’ Permission
By submitting an abstract all authors are deemed to have agreed to release the content to the conference organisers and give permission to publish the abstract and presentation in all conference publications including on the website and printed material.
Presenter Guidelines
A set of guidelines to assist presenters will be made available before the conference.
Cancellations or Change of Presenter
Please avoid late cancellations or changing the presenter as material will be pre-printed with the speaker’s name and organisation and cannot be changed at a later date. If you need to cancel or change the presenter, please advise the conference organiser at sally@events4you.co.nz as early as possible. Presentation slides need to be received in advance by 24 November 2025.
Disclosure Of Interest Statement
We recognise the considerable contribution that industry partners make to professional and research activities. We also recognise the need for transparency and the disclosure of potential conflicts of interest by acknowledging these relationships in publications and presentations. Where relevant, all authors must include a disclosure of interest statement in their abstract and if accepted in their presentation. For example, The Melon Institute and Metabolism Corp are funded by the University of Oxbridge, UK. No pharmaceutical grants were received in the development of this study.
Medical Technology Association of Australia Code of Practice
If your presentation refers to medical devices, your abstract and presentation must comply with the Medical Technology Association of Australia Code of Practice.
Speaker Biography
A brief biography of the presenter is to be provided when you submit your abstract. Biographies may include the presenter’s position, career details and major work achievements. Biographies should be written in the third person. If your abstract is accepted, your biography will be used when introducing you as a speaker at the conference.
Uploading Your Presentations
You will be sent links to upload your PowerPoint slides and posters via Dropbox.
Permission for Material Presented
Please ensure you have documented permission to use any images, music or other content in your abstract and presentation. Do not include any images copied from the internet. Getty Images and other image agencies crawl the internet looking for images that have been copied without the appropriate licenses. You are liable for all copyright infringements that arise from your presentation.
Copyright and Ownership of Material
All materials, including but not limited to presentations, slides, posters, abstracts, papers, and any other written or visual content presented at the event, are the intellectual property of us or the respective authors and presenters. The authors or presenters retain ownership rights to their materials.
Will People be Able to Record or Download My Presentation?
During the registration process, attendees agree to the conference Terms & Conditions, which include rules on unauthorised photography and recording of conference material. We cannot enforce this rule completely, so presenters should assume a participant may take unauthorised photographs, screenshots, audio, or video recordings. You may wish to adjust the content of your presentation accordingly.
Onsite Presenter Information
Further information will be provided to presenters once their presentations have been confirmed.
2025 AABHL Student Essay Prize
The following prizes are available to full-time students attending and presenting at the AABHL Conference. Students are required to submit a full essay not exceeding 5000 words to be considered for the prizes.
The winner(s) will be invited to present their paper at this year’s conference and will be offered a complimentary registration to attend. The prize will also provide one year’s subscription to AABHL membership. The winner(s) are strongly encouraged to submit their essays to the Journal of Bioethical Inquiry for consideration for publication through the online manuscript submission system at http://www.editorialmanager.com/jbin/default.asp. They will be reviewed via the journal’s standard review process. Mention should be made in the covering letter that the paper has been awarded the John McPhee or Max Charlesworth award, which ever applies.
John McPhee (Law) Prize
Paper Eligibility: Health Law and Ethics: a topic related to health, law, and ethics.
Max Charlesworth (Bioethics) Prize
Paper Eligibility: Bioethics: ethical issues arising in relation to medicine, the health sciences, or health care in general from any disciplines that offer a perspective on such issues, including philosophy, bioethics, law, social theory, sociology, anthropology, psychology, feminism, linguistics, cultural studies, history, literary theory and literature.
Criteria & Assessment
Only winning submissions will be invited to present at the AABHL Conference. If you would like your work to be considered for general programming, please submit as an abstract via the online abstract submission on the Call for Papers Page on the Conference Website.
Length: Must not exceed 5000 words. References not included in word count.
Submission or Conformity Requirements on the Paper or Essay: Essay should conform to the requirements for submission to the Journal of Bioethical Inquiry and submitted as a word document through the abstract submission portal by 10 July 2025.
Selection Panel: Two persons nominated by the AABHL committee and two members of the editorial board of the Journal of Bioethical Inquiry.
Criteria for Assessment: Criteria for assessment for both the John McPhee and the Max Charlesworth Prize include: evidence of academic scholarship, familiarity with the chosen area, rigour in presentation, originality
We look forward to receiving your abstract and having you join us for this inspiring and stimulating conference.
The AABHL Committee is offering two support schemes to current financial members (including ECRs or students who are part of an institutional membership):
1. Registration Bursaries
Up to ten (10) free full registration for the 2025 conference in Christchurch. These are available to current financial members (including ECRs or students who are part of an institutional membership) and will be awarded by a committee based upon consideration of a number of factors outlined in the application.
2. Dependent Care Grants
A small number of grants are available for AABHL members who need assistance to cover additional dependent care expenses incurred (at home or at the conference) as a result of attending the 2025 AABHL Conference in Christchurch. We will consider applications up to $500, and the amount awarded will depend on the need and number of applications received.
Members may apply for both schemes. All successful recipients will be expected to chair at least one session at the conference and actively participate throughout the conference.
AABHL reserves the right to determine how many awards are made, if any.
Applications close 5pm AEST Monday 1 September 2025
All prices are in NZ$ and include 15% GST. Includes all conference sessions and day catering Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and Welcome Function Sunday. Excludes Conference Dinner Monday (can be purchased additionally for NZ$150). Tickets for partners can be purchased for both the Welcome Function (NZ$35) and the Conference Dinner.
Early Career Definition: Student or early career academic; 1-5 years post award of doctoral degree or equivalent degree. Others >5 years post degree who can make a case for being an ECR (e.g. relative to opportunity)
Student Definition: Full-time student
| Earlybird | Regular | |
|---|---|---|
| Member | $760 | $860 |
| Non-Member | $980 | $1080 |
| Early Career Member | $479 | $579 |
| Early Career Non-Member | $599 | $699 |
| Student Member | $400 | $500 |
| Student Non-Member | $520 | $620 |
| Retired/Unwaged Member | $400 | $500 |
| Retired/Unwaged Non-Member | $520 | $620 |
All prices are in NZ$ and include 15% GST. Includes all conference sessions and day catering on nominated day. Excludes Conference Dinner Monday (can be purchased additionally for NZ$150). Monday and Tuesday Day only excludes Welcome Function Sunday (can be purchased additionally for NZ$35).
| Earlybird | Regular | |
|---|---|---|
| Member | $450 | $450 |
| Non-Member | $560 | $560 |
| Early Career Member | $340 | $340 |
| Early Career Non-Member | $450 | $450 |
| Student Member | $300 | $300 |
| Student Non-Member | $410 | $410 |
| Retired/Unwaged Member | $300 | $300 |
| Retired/Unwaged Non-Member | $410 | $410 |
The conference venue is located at 276 Antigua Street, opposite the Christchurch Hospital.
The building is a collaborative, integrated environment with researchers from the University of Canterbury and health professionals from Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ). Manawa is also a teaching facility for nursing, midwifery and medical imaging students.
The venue is located next to the Avon River and a short walk to the CBD, restaurants and hotels.
Delegates are required to book their own accommodation with many hotels in the CBD being walking distance from Manawa the conference venue which is located on Antigua Street next to the Christchurch Hospital. We have listed several hotels that have offered a discount for delegates (subject to availability) and these can be booked directly via the Book Now button. For other options for accommodation please go to the ChristchurchNZ Website
52 Cathedral Square
4+ Star hotel situated next to the Christchurch Cathedral and 16 minutes walk to the conference venue. 12% discount is available (expires 25th November) when booked on the link below. Bookings are made directly with the hotel and please take note of their cancellation policy.
107 Hereford Street
This Hotel is located very near to the Christchurch Cathedral and just 13 minutes walk to the conference venue. 12% discount is available (expires 25th November) when booked on the link below. Bookings are made directly with the hotel and please take note of their cancellation policy.
165 Cashel Street
This modern hotel located in the centre of Christchurch CBD within easy walking distance of restaurants and shopping. 15 minutes walk to the conference venue. This is a budget hotel with smaller rooms suitable for solo guests. 10% discount is available (expires 25th November) when booked on the link below. Bookings are made directly with the hotel and please take note of their cancellation policy.
9 Hereford Street
Located where the Observatory Tower once stood as home to astronomy and physics, the hotel now boasts 33 uniquely designed rooms, each carefully curated with handpicked locally crafted furniture. 8 minutes walk from the conference venue.
10% discount offered subject to availability. Use discount code COR10.
12 Hereford Street
Hotel Give is newly refurbished and centrally located next to the Botanic Gardens, 7 minutes walking distance from the conference venue. There is a good range of accommodation options including self-contained apartments, deluxe ensuite rooms, classic single or double rooms. Each and every guest enables The Kind Foundation to support the Christchurch community by offering a diverse range of programmes and services to those in need. 10% discount (until sold) using the code AABHL25
Attendance
These terms and conditions apply to all participants of this event being organised by Events 4 You Limited on behalf of the Australasian Association of Bioethics and Health Law (AABHL). By participating in the event, you are deemed to have agreed to these terms and conditions. If you submit a booking on behalf of another individual, it is your responsibility to ensure the participant is aware of these terms. This is strictly an in-person event, there will be no remote participation.
Payment
All fees are in New Zealand Dollars. Payment will be accepted by credit card (Visa or Mastercard only), internet banking or international bank transfer. Standard fees will apply from 8 September 2025 and will be applied to registrations which remain unpaid. Registration must be paid prior to the commencement of the event. All Free Paper and Poster Presenters must be registered and attend the ASM in person.
Delegate fees in compliance with NZ Tax Law include 15% GST.
Cancellation Policy
Any cancellations or alterations should be put in writing (email) to the Conference Organiser. Cancellations made up to 15 September 2025 will be refunded less admin fee of NZ$90.00. No refunds (including social event tickets) will be made for cancellations from 16 September 2025 onwards.
Refunds cannot be made due to travel delay or disruption. The event WILL NOT be livestreamed. If for any reasons beyond the control of the organisers, the conference is cancelled, registration fees will be refunded after deduction of expenses.
Social Functions
Where social functions are included with registration, delegates must indicate their attendance. Functions will be closed off once maximum numbers have been reached. The Meeting Dinner is limited in number of attendees and is not included in registration but may be purchased as a separate ticket. Special diets may attract an additional charge.
Accommodation
Accommodation is booked directly by delegates – there are a number of hotels listed on the accommodation page for delegates to book directly. Hotels discount offers are limited to availability. The delegate should note the cancellation policy for their chosen hotel when making the direct booking. It is the attendees responsibility to notify the hotel directly of any changes to bookings. Please note that as there are a number of events on in Christchurch at the same time, it is important to book accommodation early.
Insurance
Registration fees do not include insurance of any kind. It is strongly recommended that at the time you register for the conference and book your travel you take out an insurance policy of your choice. The AABHL, and Conference Organisers cannot take any responsibility for any participant failing to arrange their own insurance.
Disclaimer of Liability
The Organising Committee, including the AABHL, and Conference Organisers, will not accept liability for damages of any nature sustained by attendees or loss of or damage to their personal property as a result of the conference or related events.
Changes
We reserve the right to change any and all aspects of the event, including but not limited to, the name, themes, content, program, speakers, format, performers, hosts, moderators, venues, and times.
Code of Conduct and Disruptive Behavior
By participating in the event, you agree to abide by the Code of Conduct which is available on this website. We reserve the right to exclude any person or organisation from participating in the event. In addition, we may remove any person or organisation from the event, onsite and/or online, if we believe, in our sole discretion, that your participation negatively impacts the event or other participants.
Health
We will take reasonable steps to provide a safe environment for all participants. Participants are required to abide by all health protocols at the venue. Any delegates, feeling unwell or displaying flu like symptoms must not attend the venue.
Intellectual Property & Posting Content to Social Media
All materials, including but not limited to presentations, slides, posters, abstracts, papers, and any other written or visual content presented at the event, are the intellectual property of us or the respective authors and presenters. The authors or presenters retain the ownership rights to their materials.
Participants may not reproduce the event content and materials distributed at or in connection with the event for any reason without the prior written permission from us.
No part of the even may be recorded, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including but not limited to video or audio recording, photographing, photocopying or any other information storage or retrieval system known now or in the future, without the explicit written permission of us.
Photography & Video
By registering for this event, you consent to having your photo and/or video taken and used for promotional purposes, which may include social media, websites, and email marketing. If you do not wish to have your photo taken, please advise the conference staff at the registration desk.
Updated 10/6/25
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