Health and Human Rights - Bachelor

Undergraduate course

Course description

Objectives and Content

The overall objective of this course is to provide students with knowledge of the interconnections between health and human rights, including the right to health protection in international human rights law. While the nature, content and scope of the right to health protection in international law is central, basic civil human rights (autonomy, liberty, privacy) are explored insofar relevant for analyses of how to understand and balance the right to health protection on one hand and other pressing interests or rights on the other. At the domestic level, regulations and practices related to patient rights, coercive treatment, protection of vulnerable groups, reproductive health rights, end of life issues, digital healthcare technologies and public health issues, are explored in the context of human rights requirements and state obligations.

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge

By the end of the course, students are expected to have solid knowledge and understanding of

  • health protection as an international human right
  • human dignity as a core value of human rights
  • relationship between different rights
  • negative and positive aspects of rights and state obligations
  • civil human rights of particular importance in health protection
  • state obligations and the notions of core obligations and progressive realization
  • the notion and significance of state´s margin of appreciation
  • the duty of non-discrimination
  • conflicting rights and duties in the context of health protection

Skills

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

  • explain the content of central human rights instruments and sources in relation to health protection
  • identify and apply relevant sources and arguments in human rights assessments of domestic regulations and practices
  • identify conflicting rights and state obligations in the context of health protection, and to discuss how to balance them
  • cooperate with law students from other countries, and gain perspectives on common legal challenges from students from a legal background different than their own,
  • contribute with perspectives from their own country and legal background.

General competence

After successful completion of the course, students should have general competence in

  • human rights law, analysis and communication, especially in the context of health protection
  • academic legal discourse
  • critical thinking and legal assessments of domestic health regulations and practices

ECTS Credits

10 ECTS

Level of Study

Bachelor

Semester of Instruction

Spring

Place of Instruction

Faculty of Law, University of Bergen
Required Previous Knowledge
Two years of law studies
Recommended Previous Knowledge
Good level of English language
Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap

Combined with JUS250-2-C Health and Human Rights in the Welfare State or JUS3522 Health and Human Rights in the Welfare State - Master this course will generate no new credits.

This course combines well with JUS2313/JUS3513 Human Rights and Welfare Policies and JUS250-2-D Velferdsrett.

Access to the Course

The course is available for the following students:

  • Admitted to the five-year master programme in law
  • Exchange students at the Faculty of Law

The pre-requirements may still limit certain students' access to the course.

Teaching and learning methods
Lectures and seminars.
Compulsory Assignments and Attendance
Compulsory attendance at lectures/seminars
Forms of Assessment

Four-hour digital school exam. Information about digital examination.

Students who do not pass the examination may re-sit in the following semester if the mandatory assignment or activity has been approved and when the examination result is due to
- legitimate reason for non-attendance (see Section 3-7, paragraph 3 b in the Supplementary Regulations)
- failed result

For rules regarding voluntary re-sit, see Section 3-5.

Exam language:

  • Question paper: English
  • Answer paper: English
Grading Scale
A - E for passed, F for failed.
Assessment Semester
Spring
Reading List
The reading list will be ready 1 December for the spring semester.
Course Evaluation
According to the administrative arrangements for course evaluation at the Faculty of Law.
Examination Support Material

Support materials allowed during exam:

Students may bring their own copy of a bilingual dictionary to/from English and any other language, in one or two volumes. For further info see section 3-9 of the Supplementary Regulations for Studies at the Faculty of Law at the University of Bergen.

In addition: Course compendium supplied by the Faculty of Law.

Programme Committee
The Academic Affairs Committee (Studieutvalget) at the Faculty of Law is responsible for ensuring the material content, structure and quality of the course. 
Course Coordinator
Professor Henriette Sinding Aasen
Course Administrator
The Faculty of Law's section for students and academic affairs (Studieseksjonen) is responsible for administering the programme.