Sarah McHutchison is the McCabe Centre’s Legal Policy Advisor, Treatment and Supportive Care. In this role, she works at the intersection of law, public health, and cancer survivorship, exploring how legal and regulatory frameworks shape people’s cancer experiences.

Sarah is a lawyer whose  work is grounded in the belief that equitable cancer outcomes require strong laws, accessible systems, and a commitment to human rights. Her recent work involved benchmarking global work rights laws to better understand how employment protections—and gaps—impact people affected by cancer. See: Advancing the legal rights of people with advanced breast cancer: a global expert review and call-to-action for 2025–2035 (Goal 10)

With deep expertise in disability, human rights, and mental health law, Sarah brings a nuanced understanding of how law can entrench inequity but also how it can serve as a powerful tool for change. Her work is informed by a strong ethical commitment to centring the voices and rights of people with lived experience, recognising that inclusive policy development leads to more sustainable and effective outcomes.

Sarah’s career has been shaped by diverse and wide-ranging experiences across academia, courts, state government, community legal centres, and non-government advocacy organisations. These roles have given her a comprehensive understanding of the legal, structural, and social determinants that influence people’s access to justice, health, and support.

Through her scholarship centred on international human rights law within the disability context, Sarah aims to strengthen the evidence base for rights‑affirming law and policy reform. Her work has been published in legal textbooks, academic journals, and policy papers, and she has presented her research at conferences and forums both in Australia and internationally.