Law School Module Details

The information contained in this module specification was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change, either during the session because of unforeseen circumstances, or following review of the module at the end of the session. Queries about the module should be directed to the member of staff with responsibility for the module.
Title Law and Global Health
Code LAW522
Coordinator Dr AJ Cahill-Ripley
Law
A.Cahill-Ripley@liverpool.ac.uk
Year CATS Level Semester CATS Value
Session 2023-24 Level 7 FHEQ Second Semester 20

Aims

Law and Global Health seeks to:
- introduce students to the legal, social, political, economic and ethical issues that arise within the area of global health;
- engage students in the concept of public health and human rights and the role of law in regulating health, protecting and promoting health and remedying health failures;
- demonstrate the importance and relevance of this area of law through analysis of challenges to global health such as pandemics, air pollution and climate change, non-communicable diseases, humanitarian disasters and the impact of conflict.


Learning Outcomes

(LO1) Students will be able to identify and consider key concepts and approaches to global health such as ‘public health’, ‘the human right to health’ and 'global health governance'

(LO2) Students will be able to identify and critically evaluate key institutions and mechanisms concerned with global health governance.

(LO3) Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the relevant social, political, philosophical, and cultural contexts within which States regulate global health.

(LO4) Students will be able to identify and critically evaluate key challenges and contemporary issues in law and global health such as inequalities and social determinants of health; environmental issues; health security and threats to global health.

(LO5) Students will be able to evaluate the role of global health law as a part wider international law and governance.

(LO6) Students will demonstrate detailed knowledge and understanding of global health and the law, through in depth written critical analysis and evaluation of key topics on the syllabus. Learning Outcomes

(S1) Teamwork and Collaborative Learning: developed through seminar tasks

(S2) Problem-solving and Application of sources and knowledge to real-life scenarios: developed through preparation for seminar tasks

(S3) Critical thinking and Research skills: developed through self-directed learning tasks and application in seminars

(S4) Oral Communication skills enabling students to deliver a coherent and logical oral argument: developed through seminar interactions, whole class work, group work, individual presentations

(S5) Written communication skills enabling students to produce a coherent and well-structured written argument utilising conventions applicable to scholarly writing

(S6) Independent learning developed through general course participation and regular attendance; seminar and summative assessment preparation


Syllabus

 

The module will cover a number of topics: the following list is indicative and allows for variation year upon year to accommodate staff changes and contemporary topical developments:

Part I Theoretical and Philosophical Underpinnings, Historical Origins:
• What is Global Health Law? An introduction to Law and Global Health –(History of Global Health; overview of Scope, Definition and Functions, Theoretical and Conceptual Approaches to Global Health; Public Health; Human Rights; Health as Development)

Part II Approaches to the Governance of Global Health: Institutions and Actors
• Global Health Governance – The World Health Organisation (WHO) and related international institutions (ILO, UNICEF).
• New Actors: Philanthropy, Trade, Investment and Global Health: The Impact of Private Actors and Bretton Woods Institutions (The IMF, WB, WTO)
• The Role of Civil Society in Global Health Governance: NGOs ; Grassroots Activism and Health.

Part III Approaches to the Governance of Global Health: : Human Rights or Public Health
• A Human Rights Approach - The Human Right to Health
• Special Protections ‘Vulnerability’ and Health (Women/vulnerable groups & right to health)
• Justiciability and Global Health – Monitoring; Adjudication and Remedies
• Public Health Approach

Part IV Contemporary Threats to Global Health and the Law’s Response
• Global Health Security – Pandemics
• Environmental Protection and Global Health - The Right to a Healthy Environment; Planetary Health
• Non-Communicable Diseases and Health Hazards: Tobacco; Alcohol; Drugs; Obesity; Diabetes; Heart Disease
• Crisis and Global Health: Conflict, Disasters and Emergencies
• Social Determinants of Health : Poverty, Inequality and Global Health (Intersectionality; Class; Gender; Race)
• Global Health and Development: the Sustainable Development Goals as a response to the most pressing health challenges.

Conclusion and Evaluation:
• What Role for Law? Reconceptualising Global Health Law

NB.A Reading Week may also be included* A Revision Week may also be included* Topics and Syllabus subject to review* A Student Drop-In Workshop for Revision and/or Essay Planning Sessions, Student coursework discussion and feedforward - tutor and peer may also be included.

The Module Handbook will make it clear exactly what areas will be covered in any given year so as to enable to module to focus on emerging disputes or areas of interest. All key learning resources, e.g. seminar questions and reading lists, will be accessed via VITAL.


Teaching and Learning Strategies

Teaching Method 1 - Seminar

Seminars
Usually a two hour, weekly seminar. Seminars will be synchronous and will work on the assumption that students have completed their assigned reading tasks in advance (from asynchronous material provided CANVAS).


Teaching Schedule

  Lectures Seminars Tutorials Lab Practicals Fieldwork Placement Other TOTAL
Study Hours   22

        22
Timetable (if known)              
Private Study 178
TOTAL HOURS 200

Assessment

EXAM Duration Timing
(Semester)
% of
final
mark
Resit/resubmission
opportunity
Penalty for late
submission
Notes
             
CONTINUOUS Duration Timing
(Semester)
% of
final
mark
Resit/resubmission
opportunity
Penalty for late
submission
Notes
Coursework (3000 words mac excluding footnotes)    90       
10% Coursework Plan (1000 words max)    10       

Recommended Texts

Reading lists are managed at readinglists.liverpool.ac.uk. Click here to access the reading lists for this module.

Other Staff Teaching on this Module

 

Modules for which this module is a pre-requisite:

 

Pre-requisites before taking this module (other modules and/or general educational/academic requirements):

 

Co-requisite modules:

 

Programme(s) (including Year of Study) to which this module is available on a required basis:

 

Programme(s) (including Year of Study) to which this module is available on an optional basis:

 

Additional Programme Information