Course Catalogue

View Specification Document | Reading List

This course is the first semester of the 40 credit course Human Reproduction and the Law (LAW4024) and it is only open to visiting law students. It therefore covers some of the core topics relating to Human Reproduction and the Law which are available on the 40 credit version. Course content may be varied by year but a representative example would be topics such as reproductive rights, assisted reproductive technologies, surrogacy, contraception and sterilisation.

There will be 10 x 2-hour seminars spread throughout semester 1.

Admission as a visiting law student.

LAW4024 Human Reproduction and the Law

N/A

Assessment 1: Summative Essay (1,000 words, 1st semester) 20%. This essay is also used for formative purposes.

Assessment 2: Summative Essay (3,000 words, early 2nd semester) 80%

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. Where, exceptionally, reassessment on Honours courses is required to satisfy professional/accreditation requirements, only the overall course grade achieved at the first attempt will contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

This course deals with the legal and ethical problems associated with human reproduction and the role which medicine has to play in that process. Issues considered will vary by year but a representative example of topics would include assisted conception and access to reproductive technologies, surrogacy, the legal and ethical status of contraceptive techniques including sterilisation. Underlying these particular issues will be questions such as fitness to parent, whether there is or ought to be a right to reproduce, and ethical, social, economic and practical limitations on such a right. A comparative approach is a strong element of this course.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

- identify and demonstrate understanding of the current law in the UK and other jurisdictions, where relevant, as it relates to issues arising from human reproduction (and associated issues relating to human embryos) covered by this course

- evaluate and constructively criticise the current law in this area

- propose, evaluate and constructively criticise possible reforms of the law

- understand and critically evaluate areas of controversy within the subject matter

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.