MASTER OF LAWS (LL.M.) IN HEALTH LAW AND ETHICS & MASTER OF ARTS (M.A.) IN HEALTH LAW AND ETHICS
HEALTH LAW AND ETHICS (LL.M. & M.A.)
The legal, regulatory and ethical issues that arise in relation to promoting and protecting human health at an individual and population level are very critical to national development. Everyone working on or interested in human health requires a sense of the breadth of the field that is ‘health law’ and the different ethical approaches commonly applied in this area.
Many health dilemmas arise from pre-birth to end of life decisions. Recent developments in reproductive medicine also raise important ethical and legal questions about the status of the embryo, the welfare of the child to be born and the role of the state in regulating reproductive choice. Controversial topics include abortion, access to assisted reproductive treatment, selective reproduction, surrogacy and donor conception.
Also, the domestic and international legal mechanisms for responding to a range of communicable diseases (for example, Covid-19, Ebola and Zika viruses) and non-communicable diseases, such as those related to lifestyle factors (for example, tobacco use) are now becoming more important to health practitioners. Questions on how domestic and international legal mechanisms ensure that a society has a functioning health care system need to be continuously examined by practitioners and researchers.
PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES
To help answer the need to facilitate economic growth, the University of Ghana School of Law’s M.A./LL.M. Health Law and Ethics programme adopts both top-down and bottom-up approaches to train public and private sector leadership and managerial staff with the objectives to:
1. Provide students with a systematic understanding of the range of issues in Health Law and Ethics that are currently the subject of debate at national and international level.
2. Ensure students have a mastery of the sources of law and governance in Health Law and Ethics and a critical awareness of the social, political and historical context within which they have developed.
3. Develop improved capacity and understanding of the role of domestic and international law and legal institutions in responding to and resolving, dilemmas in human health.
4. Develop advanced skills in identifying medical/legal and ethical issues in the workplace environment and the skills to respond appropriately.
5. Develop advanced interdisciplinary, collaborative skills that combine law and ethics in analyzing how to address public health challenges.
COURSE DURATION
One (1) Academic Year
Venue: University of Ghana – Accra City Campus, Adabraka.
Format: Hybrid (in-person and online lectures)
Time:
- Mondays – Thursdays: 5:00pm – 8:00pm
- Fridays 3:00pm – 8:00pm
Fees:
- GHS 22,355.00 (Ghanaians)
- USD 9,178.00 (Non-Ghanaians)
- GHS 2,445.00 (Admission Processing Fees)
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:
• First degree from a recognized university.
• Shortlisting/Interview.
• M.A. – proven interest, exposure or experience in Health Law and Ethics (prior knowledge in law not required).
• LL.M. – First Degree in Law is required).
PROGRAMME STRUCTURE:
The two-semester programme comprises lectures, seminars, and dissertation or Major Paper. There are core, required and elective courses. Continuous assessment shall be the main mode of examination. Students are therefore expected to actively participate in topical seminars and make innovative contributions on legal and ethical approaches to policy and regulation of health within their own contexts. Research work leading to dissertations and papers are expected to be selected according to student interests and of practical benefit to student-chosen institutions. Industry practitioners shall facilitate seminars and job fairs to increase student exposure to the job market and industry needs.
PROGRAMME CONTENT
The M.A./LL.M. HEALTH LAW AND ETHICS includes the following core courses:
Medical Law and Ethics –Explores medical law and ethics concepts, criminal and civil acts, contracts, negligence, and ethical concepts as they relate to the medical profession and healthcare delivery.
Fundamentals in Bioethics – first-order ethical frameworks, questions about autonomy and rights, end of life care, organ transplants, allocation of scarce health resources, debates on the beginning of life care and social obligations in bioethics.
Medical Negligence – the tort of negligence in the relationship between medical practitioners and their patients; Duty of care, breach and causation; medical product liability; Reproductive torts; Review of case law on medical negligence in Ghana and around the world
Global Health Law and Policy – Transnational health: determinants; history of global health; the politics of global health; the Place of Health in Contemporary International Law; human rights-based approach to health; international health organizations; Global health law case study: Covid-19 and Ebola
Mental Health Law – The rights of mental health patients, the procedures involved in involuntary commitment and the use of restraints; the rights and obligations of substitute decision makers, the legal and ethical issues raised by treatment and community treatment orders; wow the criminal justice system deals with persons with mental health issues, particularly looking at alternative approaches within the criminal justice system that may promote the health and wellbeing of people with mental health issues etc.
Gender and Reproductive Health Rights Issues – Contraception (including issues of child spacing); Marital rape; Domestic violence; Female genital cutting/mutilation; Infertility and assisted reproduction; Sexuality and reproductive health education; Abortion
Health and Human Rights in Ghana – Development of Human rights protection in Ghana; Constitutional Protection of Human Rights; Remedies; Directive Principles of State Policy; Human rights issues in Ghana; Human Rights and State of Emergency.
Public Health Law and Policy - Law and health generally: health rights, theoretical obligations, practical applications and examples; Common legislative objectives and powers used in public health; legislative schemes and institutions directly relevant to public health; Health policy: areas, structure and jurisdictional influences; Policy development: theoretical models and frameworks and policy-making processes; Interests and influences on policy: politics, stakeholders and advocacy groups; Evidence and the policy-making process: evidence-based vs evidence-informed policy; Policy implementation, monitoring, analysis and evaluation; Economics: fundamental role in and influence over health policy; Evaluation of public health policy; Advocacy and its influence on law and policy; Law reform and policy change: key points in parliamentary, political and public-sector processes.
Contact Details:
Website: https://law.ug.edu.gh
Email: lawschool@ug.edu.gh
Phone Numbers: +233 (0) 30 396 3750 / +233 (0) 30 395 8555