ETH-40042 - Module Specification
School of Law
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2022/23

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

Students on the MA in Medical Ethics and Law will already have completed foundational modules in Medical Ethics and Law.
Students taking this module as an elective within another programme should have some knowledge of the key principles and methods of medical ethics and law. Those without such background may be allowed to take the module on completion of recommended background reading.

Barred Combinations

ETH-40036 Policy, Resource and Research Ethics in Palliative Care

Description for 2022/23

This module is designed for students on the MA Medical Ethics and Law, but is also available to students on the LLM Law and Society and other programmes at the discretion of the Programme Director.
Students who are not enrolled on the MA Medical Ethics and Law should have some prior knowledge of the key principles and methods of medical ethics and law. Those without such background may be allowed to take the module on completion of recommended background reading.
The module enables students to apply and extend their knowledge of ethical and legal concepts, principles and theories in the context of practical issues in healthcare affecting the relations between healthcare practitioners, patients and wider society, and to acquire knowledge and critical understanding of a range of contemporary ethical and legal controversies surrounding a range of such issues.
Topics covered typically include:
- biomedical research ethics and law;
- ethical issues in biobanking;
- ethical issues in stem cell policy;
- criminal regulation of medicine;
- conscientious objection in healthcare;
- healthcare and international law;
- ethics and law of healthcare resource allocation.
The module also includes guidance for part-time Medical Ethics and Law students on progression to the dissertation stage.
The module often includes talks by visiting speakers, which provide academic and legal practitioner perspectives on topics in healthcare ethics and law.
The contact teaching is delivered in an intensive three-day block in order to be accessible to healthcare practitioners in full-time employment. Teaching is by interactive lectures, plenary and small group discussion. Students on the MA Medical Ethics and Law will meet with their supervisor during the teaching block, and all students have the opportunity to receive feedback on a 500-word assignment plan.

To enable students to apply and extend their knowledge of ethical and legal concepts, principles and theories in the context of practical issues in healthcare affecting the relations between healthcare practitioners, patients and wider society.
To enable students to acquire knowledge and critical understanding of a range of contemporary controversies in medical ethics and law, particularly those that concern issues of justice in the relations between practitioners, patients and society.

Intended Learning Outcomes

describe, analyse, compare and evaluate key arguments in the academic literature on a topic relating to healthcare, justice and society; will be achieved by assessments: 01
identify relevant ethical and/or legal principles and demonstrate understanding of these by using them to evaluate and critique arguments and positions encountered in the literature; will be achieved by assessments: 01
provide succinct explanation of the practices or policies under consideration and assess any empirical controversies relevant to the ethical or legal arguments; will be achieved by assessments: 01
synthesise findings into a logical argument that explicitly addresses the assignment question, and defend the argument against foreseeable criticisms; will be achieved by assessments: 01
communicate complex issues and arguments in a clear and structured manner; will be achieved by assessments: 01
employ appropriate academic conventions regarding citation and referencing. will be achieved by assessments: 01

Study hours

Interactive lecture/seminar sessions:17
Individual discussions with tutor (face-to-face and/or via electronic communications): 1
Background reading: 100
Preparation of assignment plan: 20
Assignment research and writing: 162

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment