My research is situated in medical law, with a specific focus on end-of-life decision-making. This includes the regulation of palliative care, the legal status and practical operation of advance healthcare directives and Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) decisions, and the legal framework governing patient autonomy and capacity at the end of life. I am also interested in the human rights dimensions of end-of-life care, including the potential for the European Convention on Human Rights to shape state obligations in this area. In addition, I maintain research interests in public health regulation and intellectual property law.

A central feature of my work is its orientation towards the real-world application of law. My research examines not only what the law provides, but how it is understood, implemented and enforced in clinical and institutional practice.  

My research is strongly interdisciplinary, developed in sustained collaboration with colleagues in medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, and health policy. It follows that research methodologies I employ include mixed-methods approaches, systematic and scoping review methodologies, as well as traditional legal research methods such as doctrinal and comparative legal research.  

Dr John Lombard is a lecturer in medical law and intellectual property law in the School of Law University of Limerick. He is module coordinator for:

• LA6061 Contemporary Challenges in Medical Law and Ethics
• LA6352 Legal Foundations of Social Work
• LA4006 Medical Law
• LA4036 Intellectual Property Law

Dr John Lombard is an Associate Professor in the School of Law, University of Limerick, teaching and researching in medical law and intellectual property law. He completed his LLB (Law and European Studies) at UL before undertaking an LLM and PhD at UCC. He has also completed the Graduate Diploma and MA in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship at UL.

Prior to his appointment at UL, Dr Lombard lectured in medical law and equity at the University of Liverpool. His research interests lie primarily in medical law, with a specific focus on end-of-life decision-making. In 2018, his research monograph Law, Palliative Care, and Dying: Legal and Ethical Challenges was published by Routledge. Details of this book are available at: https://www.routledge.com/Law-Palliative-Care-and-Dying-Legal-and-Ethical-Challenges/Lombard/p/book/9780367894504 More recently, Dr Lombard completed a text titled Nursing Law in Ireland, published by Clarus Press in 2021. Details of this book are available at: https://www.claruspress.ie/shop/nursing-law-in-ireland/

In support of his research, Dr Lombard has been awarded funding in excess of €650,000, from sources including the Irish Research Council, the Royal Irish Academy, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, various University of Limerick funding initiatives, and competitive research tenders. This funding has largely been linked to projects examining the real-world application of law and the challenges of translating law into policy and practice. His research has been featured in national and international media, including RTÉ, the Irish Examiner, the Irish Times, the Sunday Independent, and TheJournal.ie.

Dr Lombard was a finalist for Legal Educator of the Year at the Irish Law Awards 2026, and was awarded the President's Research Excellence and Impact Award (AHSS, Interdisciplinary) in 2024. He is a lay member of the Preliminary Proceedings Committee of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland since 2023.

Tel: +353 61 213486

Email: [email protected]