Ben White

Professor Ben White is Professor of End-of-Life Law and Regulation and an Australian Research Council Future Fellow (Professorial level, 2020-2024) at Queensland University of Technology's Faculty of Business and Law. He co-leads the End-of-Life Research Program within the Australian Centre for Health Law Research and has established himself as a leading expert in health law with a specialized focus on end-of-life decision-making.

Professor White earned his DPhil from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and his Bachelor of Laws with first class Honours and a University Medal from Queensland University of Technology. His professional background includes service as the full-time Commissioner of the Queensland Law Reform Commission (2005-2007) and part-time Commissioner (2007-2010), where he led the Guardianship Review. Prior to academia, he worked as an Associate at the Supreme Court of Queensland and at Legal Aid Queensland.

Professor White's research spans health law, medical ethics, and socio-legal studies with particular emphasis on voluntary assisted dying, withholding and withdrawing life-sustaining treatment, medical futility, advance care planning, and palliative care. His interdisciplinary work appears in law, medicine, bioethics, psychology, and social science journals. He has published over 250 works including the Research Handbook on Voluntary Assisted Dying Law, Regulation and Practice (2025) and Health Law in Australia (4th ed, 2024). His research has directly influenced law reform across Australia, particularly in Queensland.

Analysis of Professor White's recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on the practical implementation of voluntary assisted dying laws, examining regulatory frameworks, healthcare provider perspectives, community knowledge, and international comparisons with Belgium and Canada. His work consistently addresses the balance between patient autonomy and appropriate safeguards, equitable access, workforce sustainability, and the practical realities of end-of-life decision-making in diverse clinical settings.

• Rhodes Scholarship to University of Oxford
• Australian Research Council Future Fellow (Professorial level, 2020-2024)
• University Medal in Law from Queensland University of Technology

Professor White has supervised 18 PhD students to completion across diverse topics in health and medical law. He has secured over $65 million in research funding, including his current ARC Future Fellowship project 'Optimal Regulation of Voluntary Assisted Dying' and multiple projects examining end-of-life decision-making. His funded training programs include legislatively-mandated training for health professionals in voluntary assisted dying across multiple Australian states and the national 'End of Life Law for Clinicians' program.

As co-leader of the End-of-Life Research Program at the Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Professor White has developed significant resources including the 'End of Life Law in Australia' website, which provides accessible legal information to patients, families, and healthcare professionals. His current external appointments include service as a sessional member of the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (since 2022).