Dr Michaela Okninski
Lecturer
School of Law
College of Business and Law
Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD as Co-Supervisor only - email supervisor to discuss availability.
My research sits at the intersection of health law, ethics, and public policy, with a particular focus on voluntary assisted dying, end-of-life decision-making, children's medical treatment, mental health law, and, more recently, tobacco control regulation. Through interdisciplinary collaboration with legal, medical, and public health researchers, my work examines how law can balance individual autonomy, protection of vulnerable persons, and public interests in complex healthcare settings. My research has informed government policy and law reform through contributions to South Australian Law Reform Institute reports, appointments to Voluntary Assisted Dying Implementation Taskforce and the Voluntary Assisted Dying Research Sub-Committee, parliamentary submissions on tobacco regulation, and evidence reviews for government stakeholders. I have established a growing national profile as a health law scholar, publishing in leading journals including the Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, Medical Law Review, Journal of Law and Medicine, and University of New South Wales Law Journal (forthcoming), while maintaining a strong commitment to producing research with practical impact for law, policy, and healthcare practice.
| Date | Type | Title | Institution Name | Country | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Fellowship | Barbara Kidman Fellowship | University of Adelaide | Australia | $29, 731 |
| 2022 | Award | Dean's Award (Research) Early Career Academic | University of Adelaide | Australia | $1000 |
| 2022 | Award | Dean's Award | University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| 2021 | Award | Executive Deans Award - Faculty of Professions | University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | University of Adelaide | Australia | Graduate Diploma in Education Studies |
| 2022 | University of Adelaide | Australia | PhD |
| 2014 | Flinders University | Australia | Honours Degree of Bachelor of Laws and Legal Practice |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2027 | Okninski, M., Puljevic, C., & Gartner, C. (2027). Navigating Australia’s Illicit Tobacco Trade Laws – A Case for Lifting the Bar Across Australia. The University of New South Wales law journal, 50(1). |
| 2026 | Okninski, M. E., & Blake, M. (2026). Voluntary Assisted Dying in the Northern Territory Revisited: Reflections on the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee's Report.. J Bioeth Inq, 23(1), 1-5. |
| 2026 | Okninski, M. E., Puljević, C., & Gartner, C. (2026). Further Developments to Strengthen Regulation and Enforcement against Illicit Tobacco Trade in Australia.. J Bioeth Inq. |
| 2025 | Rooney, T., Okninski, M., Morphett, K., Richards, B., & Gartner, C. (2025). Protecting children from tobacco products in retail environments: A review of Australian tobacco control laws. Drug and Alcohol Review, 44(4), 1062-1078. Scopus6 WoS7 Europe PMC3 |
| 2025 | Okninski, M. E. (2025). A Hospital and Health Service v C [2025] QSC 178-Termination of Pregnancy for a Minor: Consideration of "Best Interests" Post Enactment of the Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld).. Journal of bioethical inquiry, 22(3), 477-481. |
| 2025 | Okninski, M., Puljević, C., & Gartner, C. (2025). Targeting Illicit Tobacco Trade in Australia: Recent Amendments to State and Territory Tobacco Control Laws. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 22(4), 775-780. Scopus1 WoS1 |
| 2024 | Matteo, J., & Okninski, M. (2024). The Commonwealth Criminal Code: Will It Restrict Access to Voluntary Assisted Dying in South Australia And Is There a Way Forward?. Journal of law and medicine, 31(2), 343-352. |
| 2023 | Okninski, M. E. (2023). Voluntary Assisted Dying in Australia-Key Similarities and Points of Difference Concerning Eligibility Criteria in the Individual State Legislation.. J Bioeth Inq, 20(1), 13-16. Scopus6 WoS6 Europe PMC6 |
| 2021 | Okninski, M. E. (2021). Why Death Need Not Be "Reasonably Foreseeable"-The Proposed Legislative Response to Truchon and Gladu v Attorney General (Canada) and Attorney General (Quebec) [2019] QCCS 3792.. Journal of bioethical inquiry, 18(1), 5-8. Scopus4 WoS2 Europe PMC5 |
| 2021 | Okninski, M. E., & Grieger, J. (2021). Evolving Law: Further Developments Concerning MAID in Canada—Bill C-7 Receives Royal Assent and Revisiting Ethicon Sàrl. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 18(3), 371-376. Scopus3 WoS2 Europe PMC2 |
| 2019 | Okninski, M. E. (2019). The Catastrophic Consequences of Negligent Misinformation—Darnley v Croydon Health Services NHS Trust [2018] UKSC 50. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 16(1), 13-16. Scopus4 WoS2 Europe PMC3 |
| 2018 | Okninski, M. E. (2018). A Comparative Analysis of Voluntariness Safeguards and Review Procedure under Oregon and the Netherlands' Physician Assisted Dying Laws. Dalhousie Law Journal, 41(1), 121-151. |
| 2017 | Richards, B. J., & Okninski, M. (2017). Considering Professional Misconduct and Best Interests of a Child (Palliative Orders). Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 14(1), 19-22. Scopus2 WoS2 Europe PMC2 |
| 2017 | Richards, B., & Okninski, M. (2017). The best interests of a child: A tragedy in three parts. Medical Law Review, 25(1), 138-149. Scopus3 WoS2 Europe PMC2 |
| 2017 | Okninski, M. E. (2017). Commentary on Undue Influence Provisions under Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act and California’s End of Life Option Act. Journal of Law and Medicine, 25(1), 77-85. Scopus2 WoS4 Europe PMC1 |
| 2016 | Pope, T., & Okninski, M. (2016). Legal standards for brain death and undue influence in euthanasia laws. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 13(2), 173-178. Scopus4 WoS3 Europe PMC2 |
| 2016 | Okninski, M. (2016). Determining a Child's Best Interests when Parents Refuse Medical Treatment-CAHS v Kiszko & Anor [2016] FCWA 19. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 1-4. |
| 2016 | Richards, B., & Okninski, M. E. (2016). Regulating "quack" medicine and decision-making for children re-visited. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 13(4), 467-471. Scopus2 WoS3 Europe PMC2 |
| 2016 | Okninski, M. (2016). Determining a Child’s Best Interests when Parents Refuse Medical Treatment—CAHS v Kiszko & Anor [2016] FCWA 19. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 13(3), 365-368. Scopus4 WoS4 Europe PMC4 |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Okninski, M. E. (2024). Protection of Conscience in Australia—The Scope of Conscientious Objection Clauses for Doctors Who Object to Participating in Voluntary Assisted Dying on Religious Grounds. In P. Babie, & R. Sarre (Eds.), Religion Matters: Further Explorations of Connectedness: Volume 2 (Vol. 2, pp. 167-191). Springer Nature Singapore. DOI |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Pandos, O., Williams, J., Plater, D., Brunacci, A., Okninski, M., Marinas, E., . . . Arlotta, S. (2023). Review of the Mental Health Act 2009 (SA): Final Report (18). Adelaide: South Australian Law Reform Institute. DOI |
| 2022 | Pandos, O., Williams, J., Grypma, K., Okninski, M., & Plater, D. (2022). Review of the Mental Health Act 2009 (SA): Interim Report. |
| 2022 | Plater, D., Brunacci, A., Nicholls, H., Holt, J., Okninski, M., Pandos, O., . . . Williams, J. (2022). 'Autonomy and Safeguarding are not Mutually Inconsistent': A Review of the Operation of the Ageing and Adult Safeguarding Act 1995 (SA) (17). South Australian Law Reform Institute. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Okninski, M. (2022). Meaningful Protection or Unacceptable Risk? A Critical Analysis of Undue Influence as a Safeguard in Proposed Voluntary Assisted Dying Legislation in South Australia. (PhD Thesis, University of Adelaide). |
2026 - Recipient Law Foundation of South Australia Grant ($44, 284)
2024 - Recipient of Barbara Kidman Fellowship
End-of-Life Law: Selected Issues
Medical Law and Ethics
Tort Law
Foundations of Law
Equity
| Date | Role | Board name | Institution name | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 - ongoing | Member | Voluntary Assisted Dying Research Subcommittee (SA Health) | SA Health | Australia |
| 2022 - ongoing | Secretary | Australasian Association of Bioethics and Health Law | Australasian Association of Bioethics and Health Law | Australia |
| Date | Role | Committee | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 - ongoing | Member | Variations in Sex Characteristics (Restricted Medical Treatment) Assessment Committee | ACT Government | Australia |
| 2022 - 2022 | Board Member | Voluntary Assisted Dying Education and Training Working Group | Department of Health and Wellbeing (SA Health) | Australia |
| 2021 - 2023 | Board Member | Voluntary Assisted Dying Implementation Taskforce | Department of Health and Wellbeing (SA Health) | Australia |
| Date | Role | Editorial Board Name | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 - ongoing | Associate Editor | Journal of Bioethical Inquiry | Adelaide University | Australia |
Available For Media Comment.