Emergency Law, 4th Edition

Reviews of previous editions: As a handbook for those involved in planning for and responding to emergencies, the book sets out the law in a clear and concise way, as well as the rights and obligations of those who provide emergency care to the sick or injured, be they professionally trained volunteers or strangers who stop to help. … Emergency Law is an essential text for anyone entering the emergency services, be they paid or volunteer, and for students or even lawyers as a useful reference. The presentation is straightforward and easy to follow. - Law Institute Journal (Victoria), Vol 79(10), October 2005 This book tries to deal with people at the coal face, those who face emergency situations and do not have the opportunity of seeking Counsel’s advice as to what they should do, but act in haste, in the interests of saving lives. I again recommend this book to such people and would hope that as part of their training, they are urged to read it and are examined on its content because it really goes a long way to explain our legal system, and its attitude to “rescuers”. The book also spells out the various State Acts that control powers that are available in emergency situations. We hear at times, that a state of emergency or a state of disaster has been declared but by reading this book, we may learn just what this term means for us and for those who gain the right to exercise emergency powers in times of crisis etc. - BJM, Tasmanian Law Society Newsletter Emergency Law is an essential text for anyone entering the emergency services. Our students are variously employed in the police force, ambulance, fire services, military and SES. We need to ensure they know their way around the law and not only that, that they have a reference for the future. - Valerie Ingham, Lecturer in Emergency Management, Charles Sturt University … reference and a guide to read from cover to cover. As a volunteer with the State Emergency Service, an employee of St John Ambulance and also a first aider, I found the book to be an interesting and informative read. … If you are a volunteer, manager of volunteers, or person looking for an introduction into this field, I recommend that you read ‘Emergency Law’. It is an easy yet comprehensive read and summarises the obligations, powers, and legal groundings for these, for volunteers in a straightforward manner. - Connexion (Volunteer Australia) June 2002 … should be obligatory reading for emergency readers be they paid or volunteer. - Fire Australia … a collation of Australian emergency law which, rather than avoiding the curly questions, such as whether or not one is obliged to give aid and the consequences if one does, answers them conveniently and without flinching at all. - Brief (Law Society of WA) It’s a delight to read a book which deals so clearly with important legal concepts such as consent, assault, trespass, duty of care, proximity, negligence, good faith actions, and liability exclusion clauses. The presentation is straightforward, easy to follow, and much helped by the use of examples to which readers can readily relate. Anyone working in the emergency field, be they professional or volunteer, will be able to grasp why it’s safe in Australia to be a reasonable rescuer. … Michael Eburn has done rather more than just meet the need to reassure those in the field. He covers legislation right around Australia and court decisions both here and abroad. That makes his book a useful reference for policy and law makers. - Hugh Selby, Law Society Journal

Michael Eburn is a barrister and a senior lecturer in law at the University of New England in Armidale New South Wales. He researches and writes extensively on the law of emergency services and emergency management.

He is a regular contributor at programmes run at the Australian Emergency Management Institute at Mt Macedon, Victoria and at in-service training run by the emergency services. Michael’s PhD thesis considered Australia’s legal position on sending, and receiving, international disaster assistance.

Apart from extensive legal experience and expertise, Michael has served with St John Ambulance Australia (NSW), the Ambulance Service of NSW and is currently a volunteer with NSW SES.