Ageism in later life is a major, often overlooked issue in legal studies. This book addresses this gap offering insights from academics, policy experts, and practitioners from global, regional, and national viewpoints. In addition to looking at current legal protections, it makes a unique contribution to the growing field of human rights of older persons by calling for legal change. This book is an essential tool for anyone interested in advancing age equality. -- Nena Georgantzi, University of Galway, Ireland, and AGE Platform Europe This book is an indispensable resource for anyone seeking to understand the intersection of law, society, and ageing. It explores critical issues, such as international rights and specialized legal services and offers insightful analysis and thought-provoking perspectives on the challenges and opportunities faced by older individuals in various legal and societal contexts. -- Titti Mattsson, Lund University, Sweden Human rights are supposed to be universal. Yet 850 million older people in the world routinely have their humanity discounted. It seems that humanity - and the rights that attach to humanity - diminishes with age. Severely affected are the rights to autonomy, choice (legal capacity), independence, community living and economic engagement not to mention physical and mental integrity. This book peels away the many ageist layers of law and policy that entomb older people. It lays the groundwork for new law and policy to set the mind, body and soul free. It vividly demonstrates why a new United Nations Convention on the rights of older persons is both necessary and long overdue. It reminds us that universal human rights are just that - rights that honour personhood regardless of chronological age. Compiled by eminent thought leaders in the field, it is essential reading to anyone interested in making rights real for one of the world's largest minorities. -- Gerard Quinn, Raoul Wallenberg Institute, Lund University, Sweden This is an important work on the laws approach to the problem of age discrimination, including discrimination in and outside of employment, with essays from leading scholars from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North America, covering international law, regional law, and national law. The book is particularly timely as the UN moves forward, after 15 years of study, to determine whether to adopt a Convention on the Rights of Older People. Readers will appreciate the breadth and depth of the coverage, and the intersectional approach. -- David B. Oppenheimer, University of California, Berkeley, USA
