LAW4312 Legal issues in medicine
Faculty of Law
LAW4312 Legal issues in medicine is a level 4, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Law, offered in 2027 in Semester 1 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2027
- Semester 1
- Clayton
- Assessment
- Exam 60%
- and 1 other task
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
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Requisites
Before LAW4312
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After LAW4312
No unit lists LAW4312 as a prerequisite in the 2027 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Students who commenced their course in or before 2026 must have completed a minimum of 60 credit points of law study.
Students who commenced their course in 2027 or later must have completed a minimum of 54 credit points of law study.
Overview
The Unit explores legal and ethical dilemmas that arise in medicine and law. A central focus will be considering the principles and regulation of medical practice and allied health professionals under Victorian law; the legal and ethical duties owed by doctors to their patients; consent and refusal of medical treatment; competence and incompetence in law and medicine; medical negligence; abortion and wrongful birth, pregnancy and life claims and active and passive euthanasia. These topics will include consideration of the adult, child and disabled patient. Although the unit focuses on Australian law, such issues will also explore approaches taken in overseas jurisdictions.
Offerings in 2027
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Written assignmentWritten40%
- Take home examExamination60%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Identify and articulate the principles and concepts governing the medical profession and healthcare setting and the ethical and policy issues raised by medical law.
- 2
Critically assess claims in relation to medical negligence and new and novel claims that have arisen in medical law.
- 3
Apply skills to review, analyse, consolidate and synthesis the above knowledge to identify and provide solutions to complex problems arising out of the practice or development of, or activities pertaining to medical law.
- 4
Demonstrate legal research and reasoning skills in approaching complex legal problems and the ability to articulate and evaluate policy considerations in response to difficult dilemmas and areas that may require legal reform.
- 5
Communicate effectively, appropriately and persuasively on issues pertaining to medical law.
- 6
Learn and work autonomously and make use of feedback to assess their own capabilities and performance and to support personal and professional development.
Workload and teaching
- Seminars36 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. The unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
Learning resources
Required resources
See the Moodle unit page for prescribed and recommended resources. Prescribed texts are usually available for purchase through the University Bookstore and are sometimes available for short-term loan or as eBooks through the library.
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for LAW4312?
LAW4312 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is LAW4312 offered?
In 2027, LAW4312 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton.
How much work is LAW4312?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does LAW4312 have an exam?
Yes. The exam is worth 60% of the final mark, alongside 1 other task.