What is the point of teaching a course like this? No legislation, no laws but just a weird combination of jurisprudence and legal philosophy. That too, as a compulsory subject. Apart from a mostly useless module, we have nowhere else to study from, and the professors teaching the course are as incompetent as possible. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
NUJS has the course and whatever I have heard, the Professor teaching the course is technology law specialist and has degree in Science. Nanotechnology is also offered at NUJS.
Incompetent Noojie students drive away good faculty with their entitled laziness, refusal to work hard and hankering for easy grades and then cry a river about incompetent faculty that they get stuck with.
If taught properly and by decent faculty, the course can have a lot of potential. Of course, one needs to have students who will appreciate such courses and work hard too, difficult to find at the university any more where this course is offered.
You think there are no legislation on such topics? What are you, daft? What are laws like the DPDP Act, IT Act, Semiconductor Act, FRAND policies and laws, AI ethics guidelines and policies, trade in RECs, Internet laws, e-gaming, Biotech laws, bioethics, genetics and law, tech transfer agreements, cyber law all about?
Can't help with the professors but this is a future proof course. You will never understand tech law and policy if you don't understand this stuff. You can literally google it and listen to lectures if you don't like what is in front of you.
NUJS has got faculty who can teach such a course well. Unfortunately, they have refused to offer it because they are unhappy with student quality and behavior.
Back in NUALS, we have a course called SSL (Society, Science & Law). It was quite interesting. The syllabus is as follows if you want to know the scope of the same:
UNIT I.
Definition of the concept of technology - Different models of technological developments - science and religion - Ethical Principles and their relevance in the assessment of the impact of science on society - Introduction to bio-ethics– Principles of bio-ethics- Sanctity of Human Life, Human Dignity,
Autonomy, Beneficence, Informed Consent- Property Rights in Human Biological Materials
UNIT II.
Concept of Life &; Death–challenges by technology- Legal, ethical, religious concerns- Abortion-
Euthanasia-Organ Transplantation-Assisted Reproductive Technologies(ART)- Cloning –Reproductive and Therapeutic cloning- Stem Cell Research – Conceptual challenges - Socio-legal implications - Response of Legal Regimes.
UNIT III.
Introduction to Emerging Technologies and their regulation-Genomics- Genetic technology – Gene
editing - Nanotechnology-Nuclear technology-Artificial Intelligence- Internet of Things – Challenges,
implications and responses, blockchain, space technology.
UNIT IV.
Promotion of research and development in science and technology – Role of law and society-Right to
development- Transfer of technology – implications for society, science and law– Regulation of
scientific experiments – Regulation of bio-medical research on human beings – Regulation of
experiments on animals.
UNIT V.
Use of technology in legislative process – international and national dimensions; Use of technology in
judicial process – Use of technology in alternative dispute resolution mechanism – challenges faced by the judicial system in the context of complex technological issues – Use of technology in legal
education, legal design.
ESSENTIAL READINGS:
1. GEORGE BRIG. M.A., HOSPITALS& THE LAW (Universal Law Publications)
2. Dr. LILY SRIVASTAVA, LAW AND MEDICINE (Universal Law Publications)
3. ABDUL MAJID SIRAJ, LAWS AND THE DOCTORS (Universal Law Publications)
4. Dr. LILY SRIVASTVA, LAW RELATING TO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (Universal Law
Publications).
5. JONATHAN HERRRING, MEDICAL LAW AND ETHICS (OUP)
SUGGESTED READINGS:
BRIAN CAIN, LEGAL ASPECTS OF GENE TECHNOLOGY (Thomson Sweet and Maxwell)
DAVID W. MEYERS, THE HUMAN BODY AND THE LAW: A MEDICO-LEGAL STUDY
(Stanford University Press)
KENYON MASON AND GRAEME LAURIE (ED) MASON AND MACALL SMITH’S LAW &
MEDICINE ETHICS (Butterworths, London)
DONNA DICKENSON, PROPERTY IN THE BODY (CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS)
ALEXANDER BATTLER AND JONATHAN LEOR (EDS.) STEM CELLS AND GENE-BASED
THERAPY: FRONTIERS IN REGENERATIVE MEDICINE (Springer)
BANSAL RITIKA, EUTHANASIA - APPEAL & PLEA FOR MERCY KILLING (Universal Law
Publications)
K. KANNAN, MEDICINE AND LAW (Oxford University Press)
We were also given slides & notes for the topics in addition to the suggested reading lists.
UNIT I.
Definition of the concept of technology - Different models of technological developments - science and religion - Ethical Principles and their relevance in the assessment of the impact of science on society - Introduction to bio-ethics– Principles of bio-ethics- Sanctity of Human Life, Human Dignity,
Autonomy, Beneficence, Informed Consent- Property Rights in Human Biological Materials
UNIT II.
Concept of Life &; Death–challenges by technology- Legal, ethical, religious concerns- Abortion-
Euthanasia-Organ Transplantation-Assisted Reproductive Technologies(ART)- Cloning –Reproductive and Therapeutic cloning- Stem Cell Research – Conceptual challenges - Socio-legal implications - Response of Legal Regimes.
UNIT III.
Introduction to Emerging Technologies and their regulation-Genomics- Genetic technology – Gene
editing - Nanotechnology-Nuclear technology-Artificial Intelligence- Internet of Things – Challenges,
implications and responses, blockchain, space technology.
UNIT IV.
Promotion of research and development in science and technology – Role of law and society-Right to
development- Transfer of technology – implications for society, science and law– Regulation of
scientific experiments – Regulation of bio-medical research on human beings – Regulation of
experiments on animals.
UNIT V.
Use of technology in legislative process – international and national dimensions; Use of technology in
judicial process – Use of technology in alternative dispute resolution mechanism – challenges faced by the judicial system in the context of complex technological issues – Use of technology in legal
education, legal design.
ESSENTIAL READINGS:
1. GEORGE BRIG. M.A., HOSPITALS& THE LAW (Universal Law Publications)
2. Dr. LILY SRIVASTAVA, LAW AND MEDICINE (Universal Law Publications)
3. ABDUL MAJID SIRAJ, LAWS AND THE DOCTORS (Universal Law Publications)
4. Dr. LILY SRIVASTVA, LAW RELATING TO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (Universal Law
Publications).
5. JONATHAN HERRRING, MEDICAL LAW AND ETHICS (OUP)
SUGGESTED READINGS:
BRIAN CAIN, LEGAL ASPECTS OF GENE TECHNOLOGY (Thomson Sweet and Maxwell)
DAVID W. MEYERS, THE HUMAN BODY AND THE LAW: A MEDICO-LEGAL STUDY
(Stanford University Press)
KENYON MASON AND GRAEME LAURIE (ED) MASON AND MACALL SMITH’S LAW &
MEDICINE ETHICS (Butterworths, London)
DONNA DICKENSON, PROPERTY IN THE BODY (CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS)
ALEXANDER BATTLER AND JONATHAN LEOR (EDS.) STEM CELLS AND GENE-BASED
THERAPY: FRONTIERS IN REGENERATIVE MEDICINE (Springer)
BANSAL RITIKA, EUTHANASIA - APPEAL & PLEA FOR MERCY KILLING (Universal Law
Publications)
K. KANNAN, MEDICINE AND LAW (Oxford University Press)
We were also given slides & notes for the topics in addition to the suggested reading lists.