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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2010/2011
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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Law : Law

Postgraduate Course: Law and Medical Ethics 2 - Start and End of Life Issues (LAWS11176)

Course Outline
School School of Law College College of Humanities and Social Science
Course type Standard Availability Available to all students
Credit level (Normal year taken) SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) Credits 20
Home subject area Law Other subject area None
Course website http://www.law.ed.ac.uk/ahrc/teaching/llm/ Taught in Gaelic? No
Course description 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
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Additional 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).
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisites None
Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Delivery period: 2010/11 Semester 2, Available to all students (SV1) WebCT enabled:  No Quota:  None
Location Activity Description Weeks Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
No Classes have been defined for this Course
First Class First class information not currently available
Additional information This course is taught by distance learning.
No Exam Information
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;
- understand the difficulties of apportioning medical resources;
- and have looked at all these issues in the context of comparative jurisdictions.
Assessment Information
One essay of up to 5,000 words (60%); one piece of assessed work (20%); contribution to online discussions (20%).
Special Arrangements
This course is taught by distance learning.
Additional Information
Academic description Not entered
Syllabus Not entered
Transferable skills Not entered
Reading list Not entered
Study Abroad Not entered
Study Pattern Not entered
Keywords Not entered
Contacts
Course organiser Mr Gerard Porter
Tel: (0131 6)50 2023
Email: Gerard.Porter@ed.ac.uk
Course secretary Ms Clare Neilson
Tel:
Email: clare.neilson@ed.ac.uk
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copyright 2011 The University of Edinburgh - 13 January 2011 6:18 am