Healthcare delivery in the 21st century has become increasingly complex and demanding. Clinical consultations frequently raise scientific, ethical, and legal challenges. While scientific issues may be resolved using an evidence-based medicine approach, ethical theory is needed to justify decision making in the face of ethical conflict. Bioethics, medical law, and human rights: a South African perspective provides the conceptual background and analytic skills necessary to assist with the resolution of ethical dilemmas encountered in the South African healthcare environment. It uses case studies to help the healthcare team to identify and analyze ethical, moral and value concepts, and to apply these concepts to scenarios that they may encounter daily.