In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic had adverse impacts that were felt globally. By raising issues for governments around the world, it was immediately evident that the magnitude of the pandemic went way beyond the reach of individual states. The pandemic triggered not only domestic action but international legal responses, which themselves rather swiftly came under fire.  Both action and inaction exposed what some felt were a number of normative gaps at the international level.

The course seeks to explore the context and development of global health law and governance, while introducing contemporary case studies and examples to challenge students to think about current claims that a “paradigm shift” is occurring. The course provides a critical overview of international health law within the context of the development of contemporary international law as well as the structures and features of global health governance. It focuses on the following issues underlying international health law and that will provide opportunities for critical analysis and a fresh approach to the subject:

• Definition, scope and functions of international health law;
• The role of WHO as the main institutional actor in health governance, and its normative role;
• Interactions of public health concerns with international instruments and regimes such as those regulating international trade and investments, human rights, international security and environmental protection;
• The main features and actors of "global health governance" and their role in the development of international health law; and
• A critical assessment of the adequacy of international health law for the protection and promotion of public health and prospects for their development and reform.

 

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Demonstrate an advanced understanding of how international law regulates health, both in theory and in practice;
2. Demonstrate an ability to reflect critically on global health issues and to consider how international organisations deal with health, including the effectiveness of strategies used to address global health issues;
3. Demonstrate an advanced understanding of the relationship between international health law and various other bodies of international law and an ability to apply and/or explain how these principles sit within the broader international legal framework;
4. Demonstrate an ability to think critically about international health law and to engage in complex analysis of the international law bearing on health; and
5. Plan and execute complex legal research with independence in order to produce original scholarship.

Research-Led Teaching

This course seeks to engage students through teaching that is:

1. research-led – students will be taught research findings in global health and law through contemporary projects of the course convenor and teams from around the world working on communicable and non-communicable diseases, climate change and planetary health, and in global health financing and governance;
2. research-tutored –students learn through critique and discussion between themselves and staff; and
3. research-based learning –students learn as researchers, producing essays on either a topic of contemporary relevance selected from a list, or a research topic of their own proposed to and approved by the course convenor.

Students will be given the opportunity throughout the course to interact and critique, and the final essay provides students with the opportunity to produce a piece of work that could be presented to an academic journal in the field or published as a book chapter. Students will be supported to explore contemporary issues of relevance and to pursue a quality capable of publication in a leading journal in the field.

Required Resources

There is no prescribed text for this course. An E-brick will be available on the WATTLE site.

Recommended Resources

Laurence Gostin, Global Health Law (2014, Harvard University Press).

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Other Information

Task submission times refer to Canberra time (AEST/AEDT).

Extensions, late submission and penalties: https://law.anu.edu.au/current-students/policies-procedures/extensions-late-submission-and-penalties

Deferred examination: http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/assessments-exams/deferred-examinations

Special consideration: http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/assessments-exams/special-assessment-consideration

Penalties for excess word length: https://law.anu.edu.au/current-students/policies-procedures/word-length-and-excess-word-penalties

Further Information about the course: is available from the course WATTLE page. Students are required to access the WATTLE site regularly throughout the course for any announcements relating to the course.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Understanding why "global", "health", "law" and "governance"	Blog Post for Local Doctors (300 words)
2	Global health institutions	Presentation to Imaginary High Schools Students (3-5 mins)
3	Responding to public health emergencies of international concern	Country Position Paper (1-page summary)
4	Global health and international economic law	Reflective Entry (125 words or more as students please)
5	Responding to products that can kill	Group submission on products that kill (5-10 mins)
6	Human rights law and a right to health	Reflective entry (125 words or more as students please)
7	The international migration of healthcare workers	Group to hospital advice on overseas recruitment policy (250 words)
8	Planetary health and international law	Reflective entry (125 words)
9	The future of global health law	Blog post on global health issue of the future (300 words)

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Online Workshop Activity and Forum Participation	36 %	*	*	1,2,3,4
Research Essay	64 %	15/10/2021	05/11/2021	1,2,3,4,5

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Integrity . In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

For all courses taught in any mode (whether face to face or online), the ANU College of Law considers participation in the classes offered to be an important part of the educational experience of the graduate program. Students are expected to attend all classes.

If circumstances arise which are beyond a student’s control and they are unable to attend a class, the student should contact the Course Convenor in advance (where possible), so that the convenor can adjust their expectations in relation to numbers for that class. If it is not possible to give advance notice, students should send the convenor an email as soon as possible with evidence to support the reason for failure to attend. 

Assessment Task 1

Online Workshop Activity and Forum Participation

Format: Students are expected to participate fully in the online module and undertake producing, reflecting and commenting on forum posts related to each session that explore the content discussed and presented. Students should engage with group and individual activities and exercises, uploading their materials as per the deadlines set on Wattle for each session. Due to the nature of this task, no extensions are possible and if a student doesn’t hand in a piece of work at the due date and time they will forfeit a proportionate amount of marks – eg if one piece of work is not submitted, the student will lose 4 marks, if two are not submitted, 8 marks. Students are expected to participate in the nine workshop sessions, and to demonstrate they have undertaken the pre-reading, activities and watched the pre-recorded materials. Students are expected to make the following posts:

Session 1.   Blog Post for Local Doctors (300 words)

Session 2.   Presentation to Imaginary High Schools Students (3-5 mins)

Session 3.   Country Position (1-page summary)

Session 4.   Reflective Entry (125 words or more as students please)

Session 5.   Group submission on products that kill (5-10 mins)

Session 6.   Reflective entry (125 words or more as students please)

Session 7.   Hospital advice on overseas recruitment policy (250 words)

Session 8.   Reflective entry (125 words)

Session 9. Blog post on global health issue of the future (300 words)

Assessment Criteria:

a) Preparation and understanding of the material

• Consulting and reading pre-assigned materials
• Linking material between various aspects of the class and different lectures

b) Thinking critically about the material

• Looking at questions and activities from different angles and perspectives
• Questioning assumptions

c) Participation in the discussion, group work and in the forums

Assessment Task 2

Research Essay

Format: Students are asked to produce a 4000-word research essay. The course convenor will distribute to students a list of approximately 4-6 topics at the beginning of the course. Students can either choose one of these topics or suggest their own topic to the course convenor. The proposed subject matter should be of contemporary relevance to the field of global health law and should be presented in a manner capable of being published in a journal like the Journal of Law and Medicine or BMJ Global Health. The topic must be directly related to the subject matter of the class and the convenor must approve it. It is expected that all students will have their topic approved no later than 25 September 2020.

Due: Friday 15 October 2021, 5pm. Late submissions without an extension are permitted, although late penalties will apply.

Assessment criteria:

a) Understanding of the Issues

• addresses the question and covers all the important points
• evidence of close consideration of the question and the research materials drawn on
• issues raised by the topic are clearly and concisely identified
• material chosen relates clearly to the topic and is analysed not just summarised or quoted extensively

b) Structure & Development of Argument

• Essay very well and clearly structured
• clear theme or argument
• arguments logical and well-organised
• ideas/paragraphs linked coherently

c) Argument/Analysis

• originality of ideas and critical analysis of the material
• complexity and insight in dealing with theory/ideas
• suggestions for change where appropriate
• interdisciplinary perspective where appropriate
• addressing opposing arguments
• well-reasoned conclusions

d) Research

• research covering primary and secondary materials
• good organisation of sources and ability to synthesise all the research materials used
• use of theoretical material where appropriate
• range of research sources
• integration of material from research resources into the essay

e) Presentation, style and referencing

• good use of structure, section headings and paragraphs
• clarity and conciseness of expression, interesting and engaging of reader
• use of appropriate terminology and correct grammar, syntax and spelling
• full and accurate footnotes together with a bibliography
• style according to the Australian Guide to Legal Citation 4th Edition
• adherence to word limit

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically, committing to honest and responsible scholarly practice and upholding these values with respect and fairness.

The ANU commits to assisting all members of our community to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle and Academic Misconduct Rule, uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with.

The Academic Misconduct Rule is in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Very minor breaches of the academic integrity principle may result in a reduction of marks of up to 10% of the total marks available for the assessment. The ANU offers a number of online and in person services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. Visit the Academic Skills website for more information about academic integrity, your responsibilities and for assistance with your assignments, writing skills and study.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students