Comparative Health Law

This subject provides an opportunity to learn about how different societies grapple with common challenges in health care systems and to consider whether and how these comparisons can be helpful in guiding change within a particular system. While human biology may be the same worldwide, the economic, social, and ethical aspects of health care are reflected through the prism of each society’s culture, history and political framework. The legal responses to these economic, social and ethical debates therefore can vary from one society to another. In this subject, we will explore comparative approaches to topics ranging from the structure and financing of the health care system to legal aspects of reproduction and death. The readings include a diverse range of sources, from traditional law cases and statutes to excerpts from popular news accounts, medical journals, and social science articles. While referencing Australian approaches, we will use Canada and the U.S. as the base for comparison and will explore the approaches adopted in other countries as well. Students will have an opportunity to discuss and debate both the uses of comparative health law in policy development and the policies themselves.