Centre for Law, Medicine and Life Sciences Lectures

Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. The 2024 Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture on Medico-Legal Studies was delivered by Professor Sir Jonathan Montgomery of University College London on 21 March 2024, and was entitled "Medicine and the Rule of Law". For more information about the Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture series, please see: http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events

Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. The 2024 Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture on Medico-Legal Studies was delivered by Professor Sir Jonathan Montgomery of University College London on 21 March 2024, and was entitled "Medicine and the Rule of Law". For more information about the Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture series, please see: http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events This entry provides an audio source for iTunes.

The 2023 Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture on Medico-Legal Studies was delivered by Professor Emily Jackson (London School of Economics) on 16 March 2023. Emily Jackson is Professor of Law at the London School of Economics. She is a member of the British Medical Association Medical Ethics Committee, and until 2012, she was Deputy Chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. From 2014-2017, she was a Judicial Appointments Commissioner. She is a Fellow of the British Academy, and in 2017 was awarded an OBE for services to higher education. Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. For more information about the Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture series, please see http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events

The 2023 Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture on Medico-Legal Studies was delivered by Professor Emily Jackson (London School of Economics) on 16 March 2023. Emily Jackson is Professor of Law at the London School of Economics. She is a member of the British Medical Association Medical Ethics Committee, and until 2012, she was Deputy Chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. From 2014-2017, she was a Judicial Appointments Commissioner. She is a Fellow of the British Academy, and in 2017 was awarded an OBE for services to higher education. Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. For more information about the Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture series, please see http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events This item provides an audio entry for iTunes.

Regenerative medicine seeks to regrow, repair, or replace damaged tissues. Current regenerative technologies include the bio-engineering of organs and tissues, cell reprogramming, and gene editing. Such interventions are significant not only for present-day patients, but also for future generations. They challenge the concept of the self as ‘biologically finite’ or ‘genetically determined’ and blur traditional distinctions between therapy and enhancement and between humans, animals, and things. Given the ways in which regenerative medicine blurs socially-significant boundaries, the ethical and legal obligations of clinicians, researchers, funders, and governments are fluid and uncertain. For example, it is unclear whether present policies governing the use of regenerative technologies offer sufficient safeguards, even if access is limited to patients with conditions deemed sufficiently serious to justify the risks. This talk explores whether international human rights law might require governments to identify, monitor, and support translational pathways that would provide broad, equitable access to the benefits of regenerative medicine, or whether international human rights law requires a more controlled approach because of the potential social implications. With regenerative medicine's great potential, the welfare of current and future generations is at stake. We must collectively ask ourselves how best to secure a desirable clinical future for present day and future generations. About the Speaker: Bartha Maria Knoppers is Full Professor, Canada Research Chair in Law and Medicine, and Director of the Centre of Genomics and Policy at McGill University. Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. For more information about the Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture series, please see http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events This entry provides an audio source for iTunes.

Regenerative medicine seeks to regrow, repair, or replace damaged tissues. Current regenerative technologies include the bio-engineering of organs and tissues, cell reprogramming, and gene editing. Such interventions are significant not only for present-day patients, but also for future generations. They challenge the concept of the self as ‘biologically finite’ or ‘genetically determined’ and blur traditional distinctions between therapy and enhancement and between humans, animals, and things. Given the ways in which regenerative medicine blurs socially-significant boundaries, the ethical and legal obligations of clinicians, researchers, funders, and governments are fluid and uncertain. For example, it is unclear whether present policies governing the use of regenerative technologies offer sufficient safeguards, even if access is limited to patients with conditions deemed sufficiently serious to justify the risks. This talk explores whether international human rights law might require governments to identify, monitor, and support translational pathways that would provide broad, equitable access to the benefits of regenerative medicine, or whether international human rights law requires a more controlled approach because of the potential social implications. With regenerative medicine's great potential, the welfare of current and future generations is at stake. We must collectively ask ourselves how best to secure a desirable clinical future for present day and future generations. About the Speaker: Bartha Maria Knoppers is Full Professor, Canada Research Chair in Law and Medicine, and Director of the Centre of Genomics and Policy at McGill University. Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. For more information about the Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture series, please see http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events

Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. The 2021 Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture on Medico-Legal Studies was delivered by Dr Silvia Camporesi of King's College London on 20 March 2021, and was entitled "Law, Hormones, and Sport: a level playing field?". For more information about the Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture series, please see http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events This entry provides an audio source for iTunes.

Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. The 2021 Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture on Medico-Legal Studies was delivered by Dr Silvia Camporesi of King's College London on 20 March 2021, and was entitled "Law, Hormones, and Sport: a level playing field?". For more information about the Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture series, please see http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events

Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. The 2019 Baron de Lancey Lecture was delivered by Imogen Goold, Associate Professor in Law at the University of Oxford, on 8 March 2019, and was entitled "Should parents have the final say on the medical treatment of their children?". Imogen Goold is Associate Professor in Law at the University of Oxford, and a Fellow of St Anne's College. She studied Law and Modern History at the University of Tasmania, Australia, receiving her PhD in 2005. Her doctoral research explored the use of property law to regulate human body parts. She also received a Masters degree in Bioethics from the University of Monash in 2005. From 1999, she was a research member of the Centre for Law and Genetics, where she published on surrogacy laws, legal constraints on access to infertility treatments and proprietary rights in human tissue. In 2002, she took up as position as a Legal Officer at the Australian Law Reform Commission, working on the inquiries into Genetic Information Privacy and Gene Patenting. After leaving the ALRC in 2004, she worked briefly at the World Health Organisation, researching the provision of genetic medical services in developing countries. Her research interests include the regulation of IVF, the ownership of human body parts and the impact of artificial intelligence on the law of tort. For more information about the Baron de Lancey Lecture series, please see: http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events

Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. The 2019 Baron de Lancey Lecture was delivered by Imogen Goold, Associate Professor in Law at the University of Oxford, on 8 March 2019, and was entitled "Should parents have the final say on the medical treatment of their children?". Imogen Goold is Associate Professor in Law at the University of Oxford, and a Fellow of St Anne's College. She studied Law and Modern History at the University of Tasmania, Australia, receiving her PhD in 2005. Her doctoral research explored the use of property law to regulate human body parts. She also received a Masters degree in Bioethics from the University of Monash in 2005. From 1999, she was a research member of the Centre for Law and Genetics, where she published on surrogacy laws, legal constraints on access to infertility treatments and proprietary rights in human tissue. In 2002, she took up as position as a Legal Officer at the Australian Law Reform Commission, working on the inquiries into Genetic Information Privacy and Gene Patenting. After leaving the ALRC in 2004, she worked briefly at the World Health Organisation, researching the provision of genetic medical services in developing countries. Her research interests include the regulation of IVF, the ownership of human body parts and the impact of artificial intelligence on the law of tort. For more information about the Baron de Lancey Lecture series, please see: http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events This entry provides an audio source for iTunes.

Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. The 2018 Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture on Medico-Legal Studies was delivered by Professor Glenn Cohen is a Professor of Law at Harvard University, on 9 March 2018, and was entitled "Parenthood Disrupted(?) Dilemmas of Reproductive Technologies". Glenn Cohen is a Professor of Law at Harvard University, and one of the world's leading experts on the intersection of bioethics and the law. His award-winning research has appeared in the top legal, ethical and medical journals, and he is regularly cited in national news media. He has authored and edited several books, including Patients with Passports, Specimen Science, and Identified versus Statistical Lives. Prior to receiving tenure at Harvard, he served as a law clerk on a U.S. federal Court of Appeals and as an appellate lawyer for the U.S. Department of Justice. In his spare time, he still litigates, most recently having authored amicus briefs for U.S. Supreme Court cases on the patentability of human genes and abortion rights. A gallery of photographs from the event is available at https://1drv.ms/f/s!Au0Tn35SqSa2gYkI0p2cjZU0Jvv9mQ This event is kindly sponsored by the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, and organised by the Centre for Law, Medicine and Life Sciences, in collaboration with Cambridge Family Law. For more information about the Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture series, please see http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events

Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. The 2018 Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture on Medico-Legal Studies was delivered by Professor Glenn Cohen is a Professor of Law at Harvard University, on 9 March 2018, and was entitled "Parenthood Disrupted(?) Dilemmas of Reproductive Technologies". Glenn Cohen is a Professor of Law at Harvard University, and one of the world's leading experts on the intersection of bioethics and the law. His award-winning research has appeared in the top legal, ethical and medical journals, and he is regularly cited in national news media. He has authored and edited several books, including Patients with Passports, Specimen Science, and Identified versus Statistical Lives. Prior to receiving tenure at Harvard, he served as a law clerk on a U.S. federal Court of Appeals and as an appellate lawyer for the U.S. Department of Justice. In his spare time, he still litigates, most recently having authored amicus briefs for U.S. Supreme Court cases on the patentability of human genes and abortion rights. A gallery of photographs from the event is available at https://1drv.ms/f/s!Au0Tn35SqSa2gYkI0p2cjZU0Jvv9mQ This event is kindly sponsored by the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, and organised by the Centre for Law, Medicine and Life Sciences, in collaboration with Cambridge Family Law. For more information about the Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture series, please see http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events This entry provides an audio source for iTunes U.

Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. The The Baron de Lancey Medical Law Lecture 2016 was delivered on 5 February 2016 by Mr James Badenoch QC who acted as counsel for the successful appellant before the UK Supreme Court in Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board [2015] UKSC 11, and was entitled "Montgomery: a dramatic change in the law on patient consent?". In his lecture James Badenoch outlined the state of the law before the decision in Montgomery and the numerous ways in which it had failed to pay attention to the key distinction, recognised by the Supreme Court in Montgomery, between cases concerning disclosure of information and those concerning the application of medical skill and expertise. He went on to suggest that the decisive break achieved in Montgomery may well prove an apt footing on which to challenge the long-held authority of the so-called 'Bolam' test for whether a medical practitioner has been negligent in situations outside of that considered in Montgomery. For more information about the Baron de Lancey Medical Law Lecture series, please see http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events

Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. The The Baron de Lancey Medical Law Lecture 2016 was delivered on 5 February 2016 by Mr James Badenoch QC who acted as counsel for the successful appellant before the UK Supreme Court in Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board [2015] UKSC 11, and was entitled "Montgomery: a dramatic change in the law on patient consent?". In his lecture James Badenoch outlined the state of the law before the decision in Montgomery and the numerous ways in which it had failed to pay attention to the key distinction, recognised by the Supreme Court in Montgomery, between cases concerning disclosure of information and those concerning the application of medical skill and expertise. He went on to suggest that the decisive break achieved in Montgomery may well prove an apt footing on which to challenge the long-held authority of the so-called 'Bolam' test for whether a medical practitioner has been negligent in situations outside of that considered in Montgomery. For more information about the Baron de Lancey Medical Law Lecture series, please see http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events This entry provides an audio source for iTunes U.

Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. The 2015 Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture on Medico-Legal Studies was delivered by Professor Paul Mevis, of the Law Faculty, Erasmus University of Rotterdam on 26 January 2015, and was entitled "Voluntary Euthanasia and Assisted Dying: The Position in The Netherlands". Documents providing information on the relevant Dutch legislation and case law, and excepts from an evaluative report, can be found here: - Relevant Dutch Legislation: http://www.law.cam.ac.uk/repo-documents/pdf/events/Relevant%20Dutch%20Legislation.pdf - Relevant Dutch Case Law: http://www.law.cam.ac.uk/repo-documents/pdf/events/Relevant%20Dutch%20Case%20Law.pdf - Excerpt from Evaluation Report of Legislation: http://www.law.cam.ac.uk/repo-documents/pdf/events/Excerpt%20from%20Evaluation%20Report%20of%20Legislation.pdf A transcript of the lecture is available at: http://www.law.cam.ac.uk/repo-documents/pdf/events/Ver%20Heyden%20De%20Lancey%20Lecture%202015%20-%20Voluntary%20Euthanasia%20and%20Assisted%20Dying%20The%20Position%20in%20The%20Netherlands.pdf A gallery of photographs from the event is available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/cambridgelawfaculty/sets/72157650511556505/ For more information about the Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture series, please see http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events This entry provides an audio source for iTunes U.

Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. The 2011 Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture on Medico-Legal Studies was delivered by Sir Peter Lachmann FRS FMedSci, on 18th November 2011, and was entitled "The Penumbra of Thalidomide: The Litigation Culture and the Licensing of Pharmaceuticals". For more information about the Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture series, please see http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events This entry provides an audio source for iTunes U.

Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. The 2010 Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture on Medico-Legal Studies was delivered by Professor Jeremy Horder, of the Law Commission, on 4th May 2010, and was entitled "Science, Pseudo-science, and Statistics in the Criminal Courts" (The Reform of the Rules of Expert Evidence). For more information about the Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture series, please see http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events This entry provides an audio source for iTunes U.

Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. The 2009 Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture on Medico-Legal Studies was delivered by Dr Oliver Quick, of the University of Bristol on 27 April 2009, and was entitled "Medicine, Mistakes and Manslaughter: A Criminal Combination". For more information about the Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture series, please see http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events This entry provides an audio source for iTunes U.

Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. The 2015 Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture on Medico-Legal Studies was delivered by Professor Paul Mevis, of the Law Faculty, Erasmus University of Rotterdam on 26 January 2015, and was entitled "Voluntary Euthanasia and Assisted Dying: The Position in The Netherlands". Documents providing information on the relevant Dutch legislation and case law, and excepts from an evaluative report, can be found here: - Relevant Dutch Legislation: http://www.law.cam.ac.uk/repo-documents/pdf/events/Relevant%20Dutch%20Legislation.pdf - Relevant Dutch Case Law: http://www.law.cam.ac.uk/repo-documents/pdf/events/Relevant%20Dutch%20Case%20Law.pdf - Excerpt from Evaluation Report of Legislation: http://www.law.cam.ac.uk/repo-documents/pdf/events/Excerpt%20from%20Evaluation%20Report%20of%20Legislation.pdf A transcript of the lecture is available at: http://www.law.cam.ac.uk/repo-documents/pdf/events/Ver%20Heyden%20De%20Lancey%20Lecture%202015%20-%20Voluntary%20Euthanasia%20and%20Assisted%20Dying%20The%20Position%20in%20The%20Netherlands.pdf A gallery of photographs from the event is available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/cambridgelawfaculty/sets/72157650511556505/ For more information about the Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture series, please see http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events

Baron Cornelius Ver Heyden de Lancey (1889-1984) was a wealthy and public-spirited Dutchman who at different times in his life was a dentist, doctor, surgeon, barrister and art historian. In 1970 he created the De Lancey and De La Hanty Foundation, to promote studies in medico-legal topics. The Foundation generously gave Cambridge the Ver Heyden de Lancey Fund, which since 1996 has funded occasional public lectures on medico-legal issues of current interest. The 2011 Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture on Medico-Legal Studies was delivered by Sir Peter Lachmann FRS FMedSci, on 18th November 2011, and was entitled "The Penumbra of Thalidomide: The Litigation Culture and the Licensing of Pharmaceuticals". For more information about the Baron Ver Heyden de Lancey Lecture series, please see http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/events/vhdl-events