Health Law and Ethics, LLM

This course addresses the growing interest in the interface of medicine, law and ethics. With the increasing pressure on resource allocation within the National Health Service and current debates on an individual’s capacity to consent or refuse medical treatment, there is growing need for qualified legal professionals with an understanding of health law.

About the LLM Health Law and Ethics

This course examines general principles such as consent to treatment and medical ethics, together with more specialist areas of Health Law including the law relating to:

• organ transplants
• reproduction and the law
• mental health law
• medicines and pharmacy law
• employment and health.

You will gain an insight into the impact of the Human Rights Act 1998 on healthcare and the law, as well as exploring the link between ill health and poverty and the implications of this.

Why choose LLM Health Law?

• Gain an in-depth understanding of Health Law and Ethics in a European context.
• Learn from expert teaching staff including Dr Austen Garwood-Gowers, the author of leading works in organ transplantation and medical use of the human body more generally.
• Option to complement your study of Health Law and Ethics with up two modules from other LLM subject areas.
• Full-time and part-time study routes.
• Attend an International Summer School and explore Law in a European context.
• Scholarships available.
• Individual modules can be studied for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) awards. Email us for details.

Open events

Please visit the events page for details of upcoming LLM open events.

Contact us

Telephone: +44 (0)115 848 4460
Email
Nottingham Law School website

Please note the following information for applicants.

Modules

You will study six taught modules followed by a dissertation.

Choose from:

• The Legal Structure of Health Law: Judicial Review, Confidentiality and Malpractice
• IP Public Health Medical Innovation
• Consent, Capacity and Mental Health
• Mental Capacity and Mental Health Law
• The Employer and Health Law
• Law and the Beginning and Ending of Life
• Medical Use of the Human Body

Or select up to two modules from another subject area.

You will start your dissertation after completing these modules.

Assessment

In each case modules are assessed through one piece of course work. This usually takes the form of a problem- or essay-style question, but will vary by module. You can submit and receive feedback on assessments over the course of each module.

The dissertation is 18,000 to 20,000 words and is researched and written independently under the guidance of an expert academic.

How do I study?

The academic year for the LLM courses is split into three parts: two ten-week terms (Term One runs from the beginning of the academic year until the Christmas vacation, Term Two between Christmas and Easter) and the summer period.

Full-time students – who complete the course over one academic year – study three modules in each term and complete the dissertation over the summer.

Part-time students – who complete the course over two academic years – study three modules across Terms One and Two in each year (six in total), beginning work on researching their dissertation during the first summer period and completing it during the second.

For full- and part-time students, modules are taught through weekly two-hour seminars in small groups. Seminars are led by academics but will usually require you to carry out extensive guided preparatory work and will often involve short presentations or other contributions.