Master’s Degrees and Diplomas

LAWS6839 - Critical Issues in Public Health Law

This unit provides an introduction to key topics in public health law, and a foundation for further study in this field. It begins by exploring the use of law – both historically and conceptually – as a tool for protecting the public’s health, for responding to health risks and implementing strategies designed to promote public health. It reviews the sources of public health law, considers the strategies that law can deploy to protect and promote health, as well as debates about the appropriate limits for law in the protection of public health in a liberal democracy.

The unit also provides a review of the law’s role within several critical areas, including: acute public health threats (with a focus on SARS, pandemic influenza, and bioterrorism); sexual health and STIs; and tobacco control. Time permitting, the unit also provides illustrations of the legal environment of public health practice and policy-making through a case study on iatrogenic transmission of blood-borne viruses, and look-backs.

Key topics include:

The definition and role of public health law;
Case studies illustrating the sources of public health law;
The legal framework for managing pandemic influenza and other acute public health threats;
An introduction to tobacco control law;
Law’s role in promoting sexual health.

Throughout the unit, students will be trained to identify legal issues and to explore their health significance, or impact on population health. Students will be encouraged and expected to critically evaluate the success of public health laws and their underlying strategies for protecting and promoting health. Students will also explore the tension between the public health interest, and competing public and private interests.

Students wishing to extend their knowledge of public health law can enroll in the companion unit, Law & Healthy Lifestyles (LAWS6848). These units comprise a core program in public health law.

Session

Semester 2 Intensive
- 11 March 2013 (Introduction 6:00PM-8:00PM)
- 14, 15 March 2013 (9:00AM-5:00PM)
- 11, 12 April 2013 (9:00AM-5:00PM)

The timetable is subject to frequent changes. Please refer to the latest version of the Postgraduate Timetable.

Assessment

1 X short response question (20%)
1 x 6,000 word essay (80%)

or

1 x short response question (20%)
1 x 3,000-3,500 word essay (40%)
1 x take-home exam question (40%)

or

1 X short response question (20%)
2 X 3000-3,500 word essays (80%)

Textbooks

Lawrence O. Gostin, Public Health Law: Power, Duty, Restraint, University of California Press, 2nd ed, 2008 [US focus]

Christopher Reynolds, Public and Environmental Health Law, Federation Press, 2011 [Australia focus]

Please note: this unit is compulsory for Graduate Diploma in Public Health Law (GradDipPubHL) students. Master of Health Law (MHL) students may select this unit as one of the three compulsory units required in addition to LAWS6252 or LAWS6881.

Legal Professional Development (LPD)

You can credit this unit towards Legal Professional Development (LPD). Units of study that are part of Sydney Law School’s Postgraduate Program meet the necessary Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) of the Law Society of New South Wales and the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements of the New South Wales Bar Association. You may complete this unit of study by enrolling on a non-degree basis or on an audit basis only with no assessment via Single Unit Enrolment.

Courses this unit is available in

The University of Sydney - Sydney Law School