Midwifery is a profession governed by statute. The midwife, by offering a professional service, is accountable in law to her client. The midwife is commonly an employee and therefore also affected by employment law. Or the midwife may also be an employer or self-employed in independent practice.

The Law and the Midwife describes the legal background to these themes, placing them within the context of midwifery practice and highlighting any current debate surrounding them. In additoin to outlining the law, an explanation of the structure and sources of the law is provided with particular emphasis on its application to midwifery. Midwives will find this book provides them with the knowledge and understanding they require to make sense of the legal principles that affect their day-to-day work. It will allay the anxieties that midwives express about the constraints they see the law imposing upon them, encouraging them to extend and develop their practice safely and with confidence.