Medical Ethics and Law - Start and End of Life Issues (Distance Learning) (P01502)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : LAW-P-P01502

The function of the course is to discuss the relationship between the law and the practice of medicine in relation to unique issues arising at the start and end of life. As with the 'fundamentals' course, moral and ethical principles will be emphasized in relation to the legal and medical questions considered.

Reproduction and related technological developments such as genetics research, have featured in many high publicity debates of late. At the end of life, attitudes to death are changing while, at the same time, there have been very significant advances in resuscitation techniques and in the medical capacity to influence the natural process of dying; as a result, the subject of euthanasia now stands very high on the medico-legal agenda. Several controversial areas will be covered, particular importance being laid on current concepts of life, the moral status of the embryo and foetus and medical futility.

Entry Requirements

? Costs : Students should have regular and reliable access to the Internet. Print consumables (paper and ink) would be recommended to provide hard copy of some on screen text and materials (e.g. articles).

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Law, (School of Law, Schedule F)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, you will:
- have a good idea of the legal and ethical conflicts which arise in the practice of modern medicine;
- understand such concepts as legal personhood, life and death and will be able to evaluate the importance and limitations of autonomy and choice in medical practice;
- have appraised the concept of medical futility and its application to the euthanasia debate;
- understand the difficult choices in reproductive technologies;
- and have looked at all these issues in the context of comparative jurisdictions.

Assessment Information

One Essay, 5000 words (60%); two pieces of assessed work (20% each)

Note: Completion of the Certificate, the Diploma and progression through the LLM programme will be subject to participation in and completion of core activities within this module.