[Book Review] Advance directives across Asia : a comparative socio-legal analysis

Abstract

Daisy Cheung and Michael Dunn’s book is a welcome addition to the academic literature regarding advance directives (ADs). Although there already existed academic literature regarding ADs as applied in the domestic legal order of certain jurisdictions within Asia, the distinctive feature of Cheung and Dunn’s book is that it provides a ‘systematic comparative study of ADs in Asia’. This is achieved by illustrating in one collection the position at law and in society regarding ADs across 16 Asian jurisdictions. This is buttressed by an introductory chapter authored by Cheung, Dunn, and Richard Huxtable as well as a concluding chapter penned by Cheung and Dunn. In what follows, I critically review Cheung and Dunn’s book by considering, in turn, the introductory chapter, the main part of the book, and the concluding chapter, before concluding with some thoughts on research trajectories that may develop following the insights generated by the collection.