In this module students will be facilitated, over the course of eight interconnected seminars, to explore fundamental concepts and key issues in medical law and ethics.

The class has a strong focus on ethical ideas, and a particular focus on law in the United Kingdom. An indicative seminar outline is provided below, but the specific seminar topics may alter from year to year to reflect issues that are particularly topical or controversial. In certain seminars – such as those on abortion law, ‘assisted dying’, and conscientious objection – human rights arguments and implications will also be considered.

This module will focus on the interactions between international law and public health, with a particular focus on the 'right to health' as a fundamental human right which lies at the core of what may be referred to as 'global health law.' In this class, and against the backdrop of ongoing geopolitical challenges, including threats to the established multilateral order, we will explore the legal frameworks, policies, and other considerations that shape global health governance.

Through debate, practical exercises and discussion, students will gain advanced knowledge and expertise in this important area of international law and practice.

Human rights protection is a global concern. This module examines civil and political rights along with economic, social and cultural rights, and assesses the range of international monitoring and supervision regimes. Topics covered include the major international treaties and bodies. It also looks at the challenges to human rights in transitional societies as well as the right to self-determination.

The Human Rights Act 1998 was a major constitutional development in the UK. This module examine the ongoing transformation in UK legal cultures by exploring the commitment to human rights protection in the UK, and the resulting impact on constitutional principles and institutions. The module explores current human rights issues, drawing on a range of case-law, legal and theoretical literature, governmental reports and NGO accounts.

A shift towards automated decision-making and algorithmic regulation generates significant concerns for the protection of human rights. At the same time, there is a pressing need to study these technologies’ beneficent effects on human rights. This module aims to assess the suitability and relevance of existing human rights law in the digital age, and to evaluate conceptual, cross-disciplinary frameworks, which analyse how digital technologies shape developments in human rights law. 

International migration is a global phenomenon that raises multiple complex issues. This module examines the international legal framework governing international migration. Topics include protection of migrant workers, international refugee protection, the EU asylum policy, and internal displacement.

The European Convention on Human Rights is the most influential regional human rights treaty. This module looks at interpretation and enforcement of the Convention. It examines the institutions within the Council of Europe, analyses case-law on substantive guarantees in areas such as protection of life, freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment, privacy and freedom of expression, considers thematic issues, and explores challenges facing the ECHR system.

This module examines the role of business entities as global actors and the identification of the legal challenges that business presents for the international legal system. Gross human rights abuses have been clearly documented by various NGOs around the world and range from murder to the violation of socio-economic rights and environmental damage. The quest for corporate accountability for human rights violations has been the focal point for the ‘business and human rights’ movement, which gives rise to crucial questions about what business responsibility to protect human rights consists of, who should monitor conduct, and how rights holders can access justice.