Law, Policy, and Reproductive Autonomy, Erin Nelson

• Author: Leah Seneviratne
• Pages: 415-415

415

(2015) 1 CJCCL

Book Note

Law, Policy, and Reproductive Autonomy,

Erin Nelson

Many of today’s social environments in which women  nd themselves

appear to uphold an ideal of individual liberty and unprecedented

access to education. In the case of reproductive choice, women often

have options to help facilitate their rights, but policies across jurisdictions

are inconsistent. Many women face barriers to the meaningful exercise

of choice. In Law, Policy, and Reproductive Autonomy,1 Erin Nelson

examines di erences in reproductive law and practice in Canada, the

United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia in ways that highlight

these di erences. Her study encourages us to question whether advances

in reproductive policy and technology are, for many, merely theoretical.

Nelson’s analysis of the level of reproductive autonomy permitted

across these jurisdictions is extensive and details the history of regulation

on reproduction, including benchmark case law and recent legislation.

She argues in favour of greater recognition of the capacity for choice,

improved access to health care, and a broader understanding of the context

in which reproductive decisions are made. She is particularly engaging on

the interests of the fetus, including a possible duty of care owed during

pregnancy. Nelson concludes by considering the implications of various

new reproductive technologies and the regulatory challenges to which

they give rise.  e book o ers a valuable overview of the current  eld of

reproductive case law and policy that will likely be of interest to lawyers,

scholars, and practitioners in the many areas in which reproductive rights

are implicated.

L S

1. Erin Nelson, Law, Policy, and Reproductive Autonomy (Oxford: Hart

Publishing, 2013).