Elgar Studies in Health and the Law – serie

This book examines the role of international, European and domestic responses to SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) in accelerating and solidifying trends of securitisation and public-private hybridisation in public health. It explores the broader legal, policy and institutional implications of the WHO declaration of a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) and the implementation of subsequent WHO recommendations for medical and non-medical countermeasures.Tracing the trends of securitisation and public-private hybridisation up to the amendments to the International Health Regulations 2024 and the new Pandemic Agreement 2025, leading scholars evaluate whether emergency responses to Covid-19 aligned with human rights law and democratic governance. Chapters address key challenges including the centralisation, uniformisation and commodification of infectious disease management, the reliance on public-private partnerships, an increase of domestic executive authority, and the reduction of judicial control and maintaining accountability. The book contemplates alternative legal and institutional approaches to pandemic preparedness and responses.Emergency Regimes for Global Health is a valuable resource for legal scholars, students and practitioners specialising in health and medical law, the law of international organisations, human rights and domestic constitutional law.

This edited book is the first to reflect on childhood obesity as a global legal challenge. It calls for a thorough commitment to human rights in the face of an ascendant global agri-food industry. The book makes an original contribution to the discussion on obesity as it considers both international economic law and human rights law perspectives on the issue whilst also examining the relationship between these two bodies of international law.After highlighting the importance of a human rights-based approach to obesity prevention, this book discusses the relevance of international economic law to the promotion of healthier food environments. It then examines the potential of international human rights law for more effective regulation of the food industry, arguing for better coordination between UN actors and more systematic reliance on human rights tools, including: the best interests of the child principle, human rights due diligence processes, and the imposition of extraterritorial obligations. The concluding chapter reflects on recurring themes and the added value of a WHO Framework Convention on Obesity Prevention.This book will be of interest to public health scholars, particularly those working on obesity and non-communicable diseases, and those with a broader interest in children's rights, human rights, international trade, investment, consumer or food law and policy. It will also be relevant to policy actors working to improve nutrition and public health globally.

Examining the ways and extent to which systemic factors affect health outcomes with regard to quality, affordability and access to curative healthcare, this explorative book compares the relative merits of tax-funded Beveridge systems and insurance-based Bismarck systems. The Law and Policy of Healthcare Financing charts and compares healthcare system outcomes throughout 11 countries, from the UK to Colombia. Thematic chapters investigate the economic and legal explanations for the relevant similarities, variations and trends across the globe. Concluding that systemic factors may be less significant than previously believed, this comprehensive book notes that no one system consistently outperforms the others, yet incentives and funding improvements may lift performances across all curative healthcare systems. Analytical and comparative, this book will be of interest to academics working in the fields of health law and health economics. Public authorities including health ministries, policymakers and international health organisations will also find this to be an invaluable resource. Contributors include: F. Bachner, J. Bobek, J. Boertjens, P. Bogetoft, J.M. Burke, F. Dewallens, I. Durand-Zaleski, A. Geissler, C. Góngora Torres, M. Guy, T. Haanperä, J. Janus, S. Jerabkova, L. Lepuschütz, J. Lombard, M. Mikkers, G. O'Nolan, M.J. Perez-Villadoniga, H. Platou, K. Polin, W. Quentin, W. Sauter, V. Shestalova, K.H. Søvig, V. Stephani, A. van den Heever, J. van Manen, J. Vermeulen

'The 20th century has been described as the century where governments allowed cigarettes to kill more than 100 million people (i.e. more than the first and second World Wars and the holocaust together). This excellent book is a timely study of the complex, regulatory challenges of e-cigarettes. The review of the scientific evidence relating to electronic cigarettes in Part I - and of international and European regulatory approaches in Part II - of this interdisciplinary, comparative study demonstrates the need for multilevel health governance with due regard to international human rights law, world trade law and health law. European health and risk regulations aim at respecting EU fundamental rights, EU constitutional law principles (e.g. precautionary, subsidiarity and proportionality principles) and legitimate ''constitutional pluralism'' in multilevel health governance. The case-studies of American and Chinese regulations of e-cigarettes in Part III of this book illustrate that ''Chinese state-capitalism'' (e.g. its denial of human rights and constitutional protection of citizens) and Anglo-American neo-liberalism (e.g. its frequent neglect of economic and social rights and international public goods) offer less comprehensive protection of citizen interests, as also confirmed by the current 'US-China trade wars'. Professor Gruszczynski's innovative book succeeds in demonstrating the complexity of ''ordo-liberal'' trade and health regulations of ''market failures'' and ''governance failures'' reconciling civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights and health risks.'- Ernst-Ulrich Petersmann, European University Institute, Italy Combining the insights of leading legal scholars and public health experts, this timely book provides up-to-date analysis of the various legal problems emerging at different levels of governance (international, European and national) in the context of the regulation of e-cigarettes.Expert contributors investigate the possible application of the precautionary and harm reduction principles in this area, examining the legal constraints imposed on states by international and European rules, as well as the regulatory approaches currently in place in selected national jurisdictions. This ground-breaking book offers an interdisciplinary approach to the topic, combining insights from medical, public health and legal perspectives.The Regulation of E-cigarettes will be essential reading for both legal and public health scholars and students. Providing a comprehensive and in-depth assessment of the regulatory solutions applied to e-cigarettes, it will also be a key resource for governmental officials, NGO's and public health advocates.

This timely book emphasizes the importance of regulation in enabling and channelling innovation at a time when technology is increasingly embedded in healthcare. It considers the adequacy of current regulatory approaches, identifying apparent gaps, risks and liabilities, and discusses how these might be collectively addressed. The authors present possible solutions that balance the protection and promotion of public trust in healthcare against enabling technological progress and disruptive innovation.Offering both a theoretical and practical approach to challenges at the intersection of healthcare, law and technology, this thought-provoking book explores broad questions of regulation and innovation before analysing contextual applications of these topics. It moves from a wide-ranging consideration of the polycentric and changing nature of health regulation through to a more specific examination of topics including patient consent, the role of device representatives, privacy, artificial intelligence and big data.Providing an international perspective, Technology, Innovation and Healthcare will be a valuable resource for scholars and students of health law, innovation, technology law, law and development and law and society. It will also be of benefit to lawyers, healthcare professionals, technology developers and policy makers, seeking to better integrate technology with healthcare.

Large-scale adverse health and developmental outcomes related to tobacco affect millions of people across the world, raising serious questions from a human rights perspective. In response to this crisis, this timely book provides a comprehensive analysis of the promotion and enforcement of human rights protection in tobacco control law and policy at international, regional, and domestic levels.This thought-provoking book offers significant new insights to the topic, laying the foundations for a human rights based approach to tobacco control. Addressing the function of law as a tool to help combat one of the major public health challenges facing society, contributions by global scholars rebut human rights claims presented by the tobacco industry. Emphasis is instead placed upon the human rights of vulnerable individuals, children in particular, as a result of smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke.Illustrating ways in which the right to health can be advanced with regards to tobacco control, smoking and the use of e-cigarettes, this important book will be a vital resource for human rights and health law scholars and practitioners as well as policy makers in public health law. Contributors include: D. Barrett, D. Beyleveld, O.A. Cabrera, A. Constantin A. Garde, M.E. Gispen, L. Gruszczynski, J. Hannah, S. Karjalainen, L. Lane, S. Lierman, A.L. McCarthy, A. Mitchell, S. Negri, O. Nnamuchi, M. Roberts, A. Schmidt, M. Sormunen, A. Taylor, B. Toebes, M. van Westendorp, Y. Zhang

This timely book investigates the issue of counterfeit and falsified medicines (CFM) in the EU, identifying that this is a problem that lies at the intersection of three spheres of law - medicine, intellectual property (IP), and criminal law. The book highlights key issues such as infiltration of the legal supply chain and the involvement of organised crime, analysing relevant EU law and demonstrating the challenges of CFM.Using examples from several case studies, Vishv Priya Kohli reveals the gaps in the current legal framework, underlining the particular difficulties created by the interplay between different areas of law as well as the lack of criminal penalties. The author explores areas where improvements have already been made, in particular through the Falsified Medicines Directive, and articulates a number of recommendations to fill in the gaps, for example by harmonizing criminal law and building synergies within law enforcement.Counterfeit and Falsified Medicines in the EU will be of great interest to academics and students in IP, health and medical law, and criminal law in the EU. It will also prove valuable for practitioners and policymakers working in and with enforcement authorities in the EU, as well as those working in the medical field itself.

This timely book offers a fresh perspective on how to effectively address the issue of unequal access to healthcare. It analyses the human right to health from the underexplored legal principle of solidarity, proposing a new understanding of the positive obligations inherent in the right to health.Combining human rights law, public health and social theory, Eduardo Arenas Catalán demonstrates that when interpreted in line with the principle of solidarity, the right to health should be viewed as a non-commercial right. Arenas Catalán argues that the right to health's functions are to challenge the commodification of healthcare and to advance free-of-charge public healthcare services. Moreover, through a critical analysis of classical jurisprudence concerning the right to health, the book delivers a searing indictment of the effects of neoliberal capitalism and commercialization on human rights.This thought-provoking book will be of interest to scholars and students of law, in particular international human rights law, public international law and legal theory, as well as social and public health researchers and students. Policy makers and legal practitioners will also find its original analysis of solidarity in the context of human rights and the law useful.

This book critically considers the dynamic relationship between clinical guidelines and medical negligence litigation, arguing that a balance must be struck between blinkered reliance on guidelines and casual disregard. It explores connections between academic law and professional practice, bringing together an array of perspectives which reveal that although guidelines may not be dispositive, they nonetheless play an important role in medical negligence law.The chapters provide compelling insights from academics, lawyers, barristers, doctors and healthcare professionals into the use of guidelines in determining the legal standard for breach of duty, thereby contributing to a holistic understanding of guideline usage in this area of law. Sociological considerations along with empirical findings are used to underpin these concepts. While focusing on the UK, contributors draw upon international law including that from the United States, South Africa, the Netherlands and other countries. Based on this analysis the conclusion offers a theoretical framework for practical application illustrated by a case-based discourse.This book makes a significant contribution to the knowledge base in the subject area. It is an essential read for legal academics and lawyers working in medical and health law, as well as for doctors and other healthcare professionals. It will be a key reference point for medical regulators, health organisation policymakers and clinical governance teams.

This innovative book provides an in-depth exploration of the legal, regulatory and ethical challenges posed by the practice of uterus transplantation (UTx) from a wide range of international perspectives.Adopting a multidisciplinary and holistic approach, the book brings together a diverse group of distinguished academics to consider the current legal and ethical climate surrounding uterus transplantation, a procedure which has been subject to increasing debate since the first UTx birth in 2014. Presenting both a comparative analysis of existing laws and regulations on UTx across the globe, and the perspectives of key academic voices on the ethical questions raised by UTx, authors tackle key issues including the right to gestate, the value of alternatives to UTx, the ethics of donor and recipient selection, child welfare concerns and public and private funding for UTx. The book also examines the future implications of UTx and potential advancements in the field to anticipate and critically evaluate the trajectory of the procedure on a wider international scale.International Legal and Ethical Perspectives on Uterus Transplantation is an indispensable resource for researchers, academics and students of health law, medical law, and human rights law. It is also a key reference point for legal practitioners, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and regulators.