The protection of public health is one of the core responsibilities of government. In this course, students will: consider the various sources of risk to public health, which can include contagious diseases (e.g., SARS and AIDS), accidents at work, occupational diseases, contaminated food and clinical negligence; and explore what role the law does or might play in protecting and promoting public health. The course will adopt a comparative and contextual approach. Students will be introduced to the regulatory systems of other countries and encouraged to think creatively about the extent to which such systems could be adapted to improve the protection of public health in Hong Kong. The course will provide a springboard for students to interrogate wider health-related policy and ethical issues, such as the need to protect patient privacy, the potential for conflict between promoting public health and respect for medical ethics, and the value of private liability law in safeguarding public health.