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.

Available For Media Comment.


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.
DOI
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.
DOI
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.
DOI 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.
DOI
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.
DOI 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.
DOI 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.
DOI 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.
DOI 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.
DOI 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.
DOI 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.
DOI 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.
DOI 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.
DOI 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.
DOI 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
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

Connect With Me

External Profiles

Other Links