Emergent Medicine and the Law

This book examines the relationship between law and scientific advancement, with a particular focus on the theory of evolution and medical innovation. Historically, the law has struggled to keep pace with modern medical advances. The authors demonstrate that the laws that govern human behaviour must evolve in response to such advances. This book describes how evolution shapes us humans and allows us to understand processes from ageing to decision making, and examines recent medical developments related to reproduction, neurosciences, sexuality, illness, bodily autonomy, and death, while considering the ethical, philosophical and legal implications of those developments.

P.-L. Chau is a medically qualified senior research scientist at the Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.

Jonathan Herring is Professor of Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Oxford and DM Wolfe-Clarendon Fellow in Law, Exeter College, Oxford, UK.