Justice in Genetics: Intellectual Property and Human Rights from a Cosmopolitan Liberal Perspective

Providing new insight into the ideas surrounding one of the longest running and hotly debated governmental issues the global access to healthcare challenge Louise Bernier develops an original theoretical framework that builds upon cosmopolitan liberal theory. This groundbreaking analysis offers a useful justification for engaging in a global and more equitable redistribution of health-related resources.

The author examines if and how this theory of distribution translates into positive law and analyzes the barriers to legal compliance and global distributive justice in health. Other topics analyzed in this book include: intellectual property and international human rights, and the extent to which the philosophy and structure of each of these normative systems furthers the goal of distributing benefits equitably and globally; the use of strong and original normative landmarks to justify relying on a cosmopolitan approach to global justice based on health needs; and the social, political, economic and legal obstacles and opportunities resulting from the commercialization of the quickly evolving field of genetics.

Ultimately, the book exemplifies the groundwork needed to initiate policy discussions and to eventually undertake concrete changes to achieve international redistribution of the resources emerging from genetics. As such, it will be of great value to students and scholars interested in health, law, human rights and intellectual property.

Louise Bernier, Professor and Head, Law and Life Sciences Program, University of Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada