Undergraduate Module Descriptor

LAW3170: Medical Ethics and Law

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Aims

The aim of this module is to provide a sound understanding of applied ethics in the medical context, to understand how the law and ethical principles interact and to consider some of the key areas of medical law in more depth.  You will understand how the law has evolved from a paternalistic model in the 20th Century to a patient-centred model in the modern day.  In Term 2, you will consider some of the more contentious areas of medical ethics in a legal context in greater depth, and understand how different ethical approaches are applied to these questions.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of the legal and ethical principles relevant to medical practice;
2. Understand, critically reflect upon and evaluate the operation of the contemporary field of medical ethics within the legal and social context;
3. Understand specific medical ethical and legal issues in depth;
4. Synthesise and critically assess the content of legal and ethical norms.
Discipline-Specific Skills5. Demonstrate detailed and comprehensive knowledge and understanding of a range of legal and ethical concepts, values and principles and explain the relationships among them, and their limits;
6. Apply legal and ethical knowledge to a problem and to construct an argument supported by relevant principles and authorities.
Personal and Key Skills7. Communicate and engage in debate effectively and accurately, using communication methods appropriate to the discipline
8. Identify, retrieve and use efficiently a range of resources (including both legal and medical journals) with minimum guidance;
9. Work independently with minimal supervision and interact effectively within a team and learning group.

Indicative Reading List

This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.

Basic reading:

Core text:

J Herring, Medical Law and Ethics, (5th edn, OUP 2016)


Casebook:

E Jackson, Medical Law, Text, Cases and Materials, (4th edn, OUP 2016)


Suggested supplementary reading:

J McHale and M Fox, Health Care Law: Text and Materials, (2nd edn, Sweet & Maxwell 2007)

GT Laurie, SHE Harmon and G Porter, Mason and McCall Smith’s Law and Medical Ethics,(10th edn, OUP 2016)

S Pattinson, Medical Law and Ethics, (3rd edn, Sweet & Maxwell 2011)

M Brazier and E Cave, Medicine, Patients and the Law, (6th edn, Manchester University Press 2016)

T Beauchamp and J Childress, Principles of Biomedical Ethics, (7th edn, OUP 2008)

 

Additional Reading:

P Singer, Practical Ethics (3rd edn, CUP, 2011)

C Foster, Choosing Life, Choosing Death, (Hart 2009)

C Foster, Human Dignity in Bioethics and Law (Hart 2011)

P Bartlett and R Sandland, Mental Health Law, Policy and Practice (4th edn OUP 2014)


In addition, chapters and journal articles as recommended for each teaching session.