LAW37610

Medical law is a module providing students with the opportunity to understand and examine the legal frameworks (tort law, constitutional law, human rights law, and professional guidelines) that govern the provision of healthcare in Ireland and internationally. In doing so, students will develop a critical understanding of the legal, philosophical and ethical issues arising in medicine and healthcare. This will create the setting for informed and respectful debate in class; student participation is expected. By covering current topics such as new forms of harm in medical negligence litigation, organ donation and consent systems, the legalising of abortion, and the challenges that advancements in technologies pose to traditional legal principles, the module encourages students to appreciate and enquire as to the wider social and political context of legal principles and rules surrounding the provision of healthcare. Students will acquire skills in comparative and interdisciplinary study of law.