Medical Law, Ethics, Humanitarian Medicine

Academic training & research Section

Head of the section: Prof. Bernice Elger

Training

At the academic level, the section coordinates several courses within the Faculties of the University of Geneva:

  • "Undergraduate course in Forensic Medicine, Medical Law and Ethics", optional course
  • "Humanitarian Law and Medicine" (optional course) for medical students
  • "Ethical DC and community immersion" Undergraduate course for medical students
  • "Inter-faculty course in Bio-Ethics" (Faculty of Law, Faculty of Science)" for students studying science, law and medicine
  • "Health and Law" optional course for medical students
  • "Doctoral programme in biomedical sciences in legal medicine" of the CURML.

At the level of Continuing Education of the University of Geneva, the DMMH also offers training under the coordination of Dr Ghislain Patrick Lessène:

  • "Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Law, legal Medicine and forensic Science in Africa" for African professionals of justice, medicine, police, prison administration and civil society. It is carried out in partnership with the Police Academy of Savatan, the School of Criminal Sciences of the University of Lausanne and the justice of Geneva and Lausanne
  • "Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Justice and Medicine" intended for Swiss professionals of justice and medicine, police and prison administration personnel as well as members of civil society in Switzerland. It is implementing in partnership with swiss juridisctions, bar associations and Curabilis. 
     

Research

Main research areas 

  • Health in prison
  • Health of vulnerable persons
  • Respect for the patient’s self-determination
  • Humanitarian legal medicine

Completed Research Projects 

  • Completed Research Projects 
  • "Ethical and legal issues related to research involving biobanks", funding: GIAN, MIMOSA, Swiss National Science Foundation (A second book has been published in 2010)
  • "Ethical and legal issues related to research using cadaveric biological material" by Prof. B. Elger, Dr. M. C. Hofner (MER), Prof. P. Mangin
  • "Ethical and legal issues related to genetic research in case of sudden death" by Prof. B. Elger, Prof. P. Mangin, Dr. K. Michaud and Dr. F. Fellmann.
  • "Confidentiality", Funding: ASSM par Prof. B. Elger, Dr A. Eytan, Dr M. Ummel, Prof. B. Gravier (CHUV) and colleagues.
  • "Information and risk management in pregnancy monitoring: legal and sociological contexts of the doctor-patient relationship. Funding: Swiss National Science Foundation" (see Unige-Droit-Recherche) by Prof. D. Manai, Prof. C. Burton-Jeangros, Prof. B. Elger and colleagues
  • "Death in custody":Funding: SNIS (see SNIS website) by Prof. B. Elger, Prof. P. Mangin and colleagues, in collaboration with the ICRC (Dr. Mr Tidball-Binz), the University of Berne (Prof. M. Thali) and the Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights –ADH in Geneva (Prof. P. Gaeta, Prof. V. Chetail).