CMEL Newsletter (March - April 2024)

HKU CMEL has recently distributed its March - April 2024 Newsletter. It can be accessed here.

CMEL newsletter (September - October 2022)

The September-October newsletter of the Centre for Medical Ethics and Law (CMEL) is now available here.

 This issue features Behavioral Public Choice Economics and the Law (Springer, 2022), a book recently published by a CMEL researcher. 

Behavioral public choice economics is a nascent field of study that revitalizes the well-established field of public choice economics with the findings of behavioral economics, political psychology, and cognitive neuroscience to advance our knowledge about administrative regulation, constitutional design, democratic lawmaking, elections, and judicial decision-making.

In his new book Behavioral Public Choice Economics and the Law (Springer, 2022), the first book on the subject, CMEL’s Deputy Director Dr Eric C. Ip lucidly illustrates how public officials, lawmakers, and judges, as ordinary, boundedly rational, human beings, fall prey to their own biases and heuristics. Dr Ip explains how the insights of behavioral public choice economics, among other things, can fruitfully enhance our understanding of cognitive constraints on legal and policy responses to public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, which tend to be complex and require the delicate balancing of competing interests such as economic activity, human rights, mental health, and physical health. His book, additionally, demonstrates how constitutions and judicial doctrines can be structured to mitigate the cognitive shortcomings of technocrats and other public decision-makers.

Other highlights:

1. Articles

• "Civil Liabilities of Fertility Fraud: Focusing on the Decision from the Court of Appeals of Indiana in the United States"
• "How Hong Kong Won Its 150-year Struggle Against Malaria"
• "Technological Solutions to Loneliness—Are they enough?"
• "Zoonoses and Animal Culling: The Need for One Health Policy"

2. Upcoming Events

• Preservation of Dignity in the Terminally Ill
• Ethical and Legal Complexities in Genomic Data Sharing in Consortia: Reflections from Asia, Africa, and Europe
• The Bioethics of Loneliness

3. Recording

·         "MEDIATION IN HONG KONG": Focus on Medical and Dental Disputes

4. Media/ Legal Updates

• Manslaughter of Terminally-ill Wife
• Wristbands for Monitoring Emotions
• Invalidating COVID-19 Vaccination Medical Exemption Certificates

CMEL e-Newsletter (July-August 2022 Issue)

EDITORIAL APPOINTMENTS & ACHIEVEMENTS   Dr Philip S. L. Beh, Prof Gabriel M. Leung and Dr Priscilla Song have recently completed their appointments: Dr Beh: CMEL Co-Director (Medicine); Prof Leung: Dean of the LKS Faculty of Medicine and ex-officio member of the CMEL Executive Board ("EB");  Dr Song: member of EB. We are grateful to Dr Beh for his many pivotal contributions and to Prof Leung and Dr Song for their support and guidance. We warmly welcome Prof Gilberto K. K. Leung, Prof Chak Sing Lau and Dr Julie Y. Chen, who have taken up the appointments below: Prof Leung: CMEL Co-Director (Medicine); Prof Lau: Dean of the LKS Faculty of Medicine and ex-officio member of EB;  Dr Chen: member of EB. Dr Haochen Sun, CMEL Research Fellow, has been promoted to full professor. We send him our heartiest congratulations. Additionally, we are pleased to announce that CMEL Co-Director Dr Calvin W. L. Ho has been awarded a grant by the Research Grants Council to study the regulatory governance of medical AI in the Greater Bay Area. Prof Gilberto K. K. Leung will also be involved in this study. Last but not least, we have presented in this newsletter various research and medical law updates and a collection of MBBS student essays.      JOURNAL ARTICLES "Credentialling—Myths, Challenges and Spirit" In Hong Kong Medical Journal  Gilberto K. K. Leung is a co-author. "Respecting Values and Perspectives in Biobanking and Genetic Research Governance: Outcomes of a Qualitative Study in Bengaluru, India" In Wellcome Open Research Calvin W. L. Ho is a contributing author.   GRANT Project title: "Regulatory Governance of AI in Medicine in the Greater Bay Area"; Project to commence from 1 November 2022 and will run for 18 months. Funder: RGC General Research Fund 2022/2023. Principal investigator: Calvin W. L. Ho.     EXTERNAL EVENTS Readers interested in learning more about the papers marked with an asterisk (*) below are welcome to contact Ms Daisy Cheung/ Dr Calvin W. L. Ho at cmel@hku.hk. *Ms Daisy Cheung presented a paper entitled "Implementing Will and Preferences in Adult Guardianship Regimes of Confucian Societies: Redefining the Problem" at the 7th World Congress on Adult Capacity, which took place in Edinburgh, Scotland from 7 to 9 June 2022.  *Dr Calvin W. L. Ho presented a paper entitled "Surmounting Colonisation by Data in the Use of AI and Analytics for Cost Predictions in Health Insurance" at the Global Meeting on Law & Society, which took place in Lisbon, Portugal, from 13 to 16 July 2022. *In collaboration with Ms Alison Hall (PHG Foundation, University of Cambridge), Ms Mathavi Senguttuvan (NUS) and Dr Karel Caals (NUS), Dr Calvin W. L. Ho conducted and presented in a symposium entitled "Digitalization of Contact Tracing and Proximity Tracking in East and South Asia: Ethical Lessons for the Post COVID-19 Era", which took place in Basel, Switzerland, from 20 to 22 July 2022. This project was funded in part by a grant awarded by the World Health Organization. *Dr Calvin W. L. Ho presented on "Ethical and Legal Challenges in the Use of Genomic Data in Big Data Research and in the Development of Medical AI" in a workshop on " Societal Impact and Response to AI and Data Intensive Research Use of Genomic Data" organised by Eurac Research at Brocher Foundation (Geneva, Switzerland) on 10 & 11 August 2022. *Dr Calvin W. L. Ho presented on "Consent and Explainability in the Development and Implementation of Medical AI" in a hybrid international conference on "ELSI of Internet of Medical Things and Healthcare AI" organised by the Asian Institute for Bioethics and Health Law, Yonsei University (Seoul, South Korea) on 22 & 23 August 2022. Dr Calvin W. L. Ho also gave the following webinar presentations:  a presentation entitled "Bridging the Research-Therapy Divide in the Regulatory Governance of Artificial Intelligence as Medical Devices" in a webinar by the Master of Health Research Ethics (MOHRE) programme at Universiti Malaya, which took place on 24 June 2022 (recording available here);   a presentation on "Digital Capabilities", which was part of a webinar by the Epidemic Ethics Network (Oxford) entitled "Ethical Priorities for a New International Instrument on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response ", which took place on 25 July 2022 (recording available here);   a presentation entitled "Regulatory Governance of AI in Medicine in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area in China" in a webinar by the Bioethics Centre at the University of Otago, which took place on 22 August 2022 (recording to be made available on the organiser’s website in due course).     MEDIA INTERVIEW   "Hong Kong’s Ban on CBD Products Leaves Companies Facing Ruin" On Bloomberg (12 August 2022) In an interview with Bloomberg, CMEL Co-Director Dr Calvin W. L. Ho shared his views on Hong Kong’s proposed ban on cannabidiol (CBD) products.       MEDICAL STUDENT MUSINGS ON CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN MEDICAL ETHICS AND LAW   The Wu Jieh Yee Prize in Medical Ethics and Law (伍絜宜醫學倫理與法律短評獎) was established in 2019 with the support of the Wu Jieh Yee Charitable Foundation to encourage medical students to embrace critical analysis of contemporary issues in medical ethics and law. It is awarded annually to an MBBS Year 5 student on the basis of performance of assessed work in the Medical Ethics and Law curriculum and the quality of a scholarly essay.   The 2021-22 essays have now been published on the Medical Ethics and Humanities website and are worth a read. They demonstrate students’ willingness and skill in engaging with difficult and sometimes contentious topics. Each essay is shared with the author’s permission, in the hope of triggering open and meaningful conversation that will contribute to the betterment of humankind. We welcome you to explore! Prize Winner:   CHEUNG Ka Yuet Kylie Ethical Considerations of Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Among Healthcare Workers in Hong Kong  Healthcare workers are one of the most important populations to target for COVID-19 vaccination strategies due to their increased exposure to high-risk patients and potential risk of transmission within the hospital environment. As vaccine hesitancy can potentially exacerbate the impact of the pandemic, mandates for such vaccines have been proposed for healthcare workers. Thus, renewed discussions about the ethics of such policies are discussed in this essay. "I was initially inspired to write the essay about vaccine mandates after reading a series of news articles about UK and US health-care workers protesting against COVID-19 vaccine mandates. As the fifth wave was beginning to strike Hong Kong at that time and vaccine hesitancy was prevalent, I thought it would be timely to explore the topic in a more local context." Notable essay:  LAU Hiu Yin Dawn  Transgender in Hong Kong: Ethics and Medicolegal Perspectives  This essay explores the topic of being transgender in Hong Kong and how it relates to the local medical system, from the points of view of patients and healthcare professionals alike. The often-overlooked discrimination and obstacles that transgender individuals face under the current system are highlighted with an aim to shine light on the ethical issues and provoke thought in students and workers in the field.   "The transgender community within the medical field is largely underground and invisible. As a member of said community in a society that largely misunderstands us, and from the unique position of both an aspiring doctor and a patient, I was inspired to gather the experiences of others in similar situations, as one of our tiny steps towards a better future."       GUIDANCE FROM MEDICAL COUNCIL ON TELEMEDICINE   The Medical Council of Hong Kong has issued Questions and Answers to the Ethical Guidelines on Practice of Telemedicine.    COVID-RELATED AMENDMENTS TO EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE   The Employment (Amendment) Ordinance 2022 has come into effect in Hong Kong.  It addresses employment-related issues arising from the implementation of anti-epidemic measures, such as issues of dismissal and sickness allowance.        CENTRE FOR MEDICAL ETHICS AND LAW HKU ABOUT The Centre for Medical Ethics and Law (CMEL) develops new ideas and solutions in response to the big ethical, legal and policy questions of medicine and health.   CMEL is the first cross-faculty interdisciplinary institution of its kind in the region. It was founded in 2012 by the LKS Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Law at The University of Hong Kong as a joint inheritor of their vibrant intellectual traditions dating back to 1887 and 1969 respectively. Today, CMEL brings together bioethicists, academic lawyers, medical scientists, and other scholars to conduct cutting edge bioethical and legal research and contribute to policy development in flagship areas like population and global health, mental health and capacity, and digital health and emergent technologies.   Research, teaching and knowledge exchange—CMEL’s core initiatives—aim to ensure that developments in biomedicine and public health will be underpinned by ethical and legal considerations.     CONTACT Centre for Medical Ethics and Law Office 9.21, 9TH Floor, Cheng Yu Tung Tower, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR T +852 3917 1845 F +852 2549 8495 cmel@hku.hk        www.cmel.hku.hk

 

CMEL Newsletter (Jan - Feb 2022)

The January-February newsletter of the Centre for Medical Ethics and Law (CMEL) is now available here.

Highlights of the January-February newsletter:

1. New publications

2. Events

• Information Session for the Master of Laws in Medical Ethics and Law Programme
• Webinar on Relational Autonomy and Informed Consent
• Webinar on Hong Kong Health Law 2021
• Webinars on Gene-editing, Health Insurance and Data Access
• Global Health & Humanities Book Talk Series
• Science, Technology and Medicine Seminar Series
• Medical Humanities "Conversations & Connections" Seminar

3. Knowledge exchange

• Media Interviews
• Consultation for a Fact-check Service

4. Medical law updates

• Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Preliminary Investigation Committee of the Medical Council of Hong Kong v Hospital Authority
• New Anti-doxxing Law in Force

Annual Review of Hong Kong Health Law (CMEL Zoom Event)

Annual Review of Hong Kong Health Law in 2021 

23 February 2022 (Wednesday)
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm (Hong Kong Time)
Live Zoom Session

This workshop provides an analysis of important regulatory and case law developments that relate to health and healthcare in Hong Kong in 2021. The coverage is not intended to be comprehensive, but the intent is to promote professional deliberation and discussion on developments that are likely to be far-reaching. Accordingly, the aims (all pertaining to the jurisdiction of Hong Kong) are as follows: (1) review selected decisions of the Inquiry Panel of the Medical Council of Hong Kong; (2) review the state of the law on gross negligence manslaughter as applicable to medical practitioners and draw the attention of the audience to the new regime introduced by the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance (Cap. 633); (3) review the state of the law on medical negligence; (4) provide an update on alternative dispute resolution in healthcare from a legal and regulatory perspective; and (5) provide an analysis of regulatory developments that pertain to digital health. 

Programme, Abstracts & Biographies: click here

Chairs
Calvin HO
Associate Professor of Law & Co-Director of the Centre for Medical Ethics and Law, The University of Hong Kong

Philip BEH
Principal Clinical Practitioner of the Department of Pathology & Co-Director of the Centre for Medical Ethics and Law, The University of Hong Kong

Presentations & Speakers
David KAN
Partner at Howse Williams & Solicitor Advocate
Title: Recent MCHK Inquiry Judgment

Jane OR
Centre Manager of the Centre for Medical Ethics and Law, The University of Hong Kong
Title: Updates on Medical Negligence and Gross Negligence Manslaughter

Albert LEE
Clinical Professor of Public Health and Primary Care and Founding Director of Centre for Health Education and Health Promotion, The Chinese University of Hong Kong & Honorary Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Science, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Title: Alternative Dispute Resolution for Medical Mishaps: Role of Arbitration

Calvin HO
Associate Professor of Law & Co-Director of the Centre for Medical Ethics and Law, The University of Hong Kong
Title: Recent Advances in Data Governance and Healthcare Digitalisation

Prior registration is required.

For CME/CPD Accreditation, registration and other details, please visit https://www.cmel.hku.hk/events-detail.php?id=87.

This event is free of charge.

All are welcome!

CMEL Newsletter (Nov - Dec 2021)

EDITORIAL WELCOME TO OUR NEW BI-MONTHLY NEWSLETTER We congratulate the 21 students in our Master of Laws in Medical Ethics and Law ("LLM(MEL)") course who graduated in 2021, and our first MBBS student who successfully completed the course as an intercalated degree. We also take this opportunity to remember the late Ms Lau Ching Kar Karen, who was one of our LLM(MEL) students, and we are grateful to her brother, Mr Aaron Lau, for the eulogy that is published in this issue.  As in our previous newsletters, we highlight new publications, interviews, and online resources, such as updates on non-locally trained medical practitioners, "alternative smoking products", medical manslaughter and the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance.  Looking ahead into the new year, we invite readers to participate in our events as well as those of our collaborators, the Centre for the Humanities and Medicine ("CHM") (Faculty of Arts and LKS Faculty of Medicine) and the Medical Ethics and Humanities Unit ("MEHU") (LKS Faculty of Medicine). Among these are CMEL’s "Informed Consent" webinar and "Annual Review of Hong Kong Health Law" webinar in January and February 2022 respectively as well as the "Medical Research and Drug Policy" virtual book talk of CHM and MEHU in January 2022. Finally, we take this opportunity to wish everyone restful holidays and a fruitful new year to come.  Above: LLM(MEL) Class of 2021 with Dr Eric C. Ip and Dr Calvin W. L. HoAbove: LLM(MEL) Class of 2021 with Former Chief Justice The Honourable Mr Geoffrey Ma and Dean Professor Hualing Fu

JOURNAL ARTICLES "International comparisons of COVID-19 case and mortality data and the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions: a plea for reconsideration" In Journal of Biosocial Science (2021)  Our Eric C. Ip is a co-author https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-biosocial-science/article/abs/international- comparisons-of-covid19-case-and-mortality-data-and-the-effectiveness-of-nonpharmaceutical- interventions-a-plea-for-reconsideration/C5F96D98FC8AE3C553BD6AB30C1955AA   "GA4GH: International policies and standards for data sharing across genomic research and healthcare" (Open Access) In Cell Genomics (2021) Our Calvin W. L. Ho is a co-author https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xgen.2021.100029   "Open science, data sharing and solidarity: who benefits?" (Open access)   In History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences (2021) Our Calvin W. L. Ho is a co-author https://doi.org/10.1007/s40656-021-00468-6   BOOK CHAPTER "The patient-centric turn in medical liability in Singapore" (Open Access)   In Medical Liability in Asia and Australasia (Part of the Ius Gentium: Comparative Perspectives on Law and Justice book series), Springer Nature, 2022   By Calvin W. L. Ho https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-4855-7_15   POLICY PAPER  "COVID-19 vaccine trial designs in the context of authorized COVID-19 vaccines and expanding global access: ethical considerations" (Open Access) Policy Brief of the World Health Organization, 29 November 2021 Our Calvin W. L. Ho is a contributor https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/349693/WHO-2019-nCoV-Policy-brief-Vaccine-trial-design-2021.1-eng.pdf

APPLY TO THE MEDICAL ETHICS AND LAW MASTER'S DEGREE PROGRAMME   We are calling for applications to the Master of Laws in Medical Ethics and Law ("LLM(MEL)") programme for the 2022 intake. Please refer to the "Events" section below for details of the information sessions.   IN MEMORIAM: LAU CHING KAR KAREN The late Ms Lau Ching Kar Karen One of the students in the LLM(MEL) class of 2021, Ms LAU Ching Kar Karen, passed away earlier this year. Karen had done well and will always be a member of the HKU Law School. The following is a memoriam written by Ms Karen Lau’s brother in loving remembrance of her. My family and I would like to thank Karen’s teachers and classmates, as well as the Centre for Medical Ethics and Law and the Department of Law of the University of Hong Kong for the unwavering support during her studies this past year. While Karen has yet to complete her Masters due to this sudden illness, my family and I remain hopeful that a posthumous award of the degree is possible, as Karen’s wish was to complete this course. I am confident that Karen’s commitment, perseverance and resilience shall continue to inspire generations of students to come.  In Memoriam: Lau Ching Kar Karen   Congratulations to all 2021 Master of Laws (Medical Ethics and Law) graduates. My late sister, Lau Ching Kar Karen, would have been among you as a graduand at the 205th Congregation, but she succumbed to terminal cancer in May 2021 at the age of 40.   As a practising Barrister-at-Law and formerly a teacher at a local secondary school, Karen has inspired many to become legal professionals as well as educators. Karen was a smart, loving, caring, and gentle person. She was always cheerful and when her friends encountered difficulties, her kindness would radiate like the sun, providing warmth and shelter in the darkest of times. When given an insurmountable task at work, she would openly accept it with open arms and complete it with sheer perfection. Even when she had Sarcoma, she did not run away in fear. Instead, she stood up and fought valiantly until the end. Today, we are here to remember a great friend, a great ally, a great colleague, a great sister, a great human being. Though she is not bodily with us, her life has touched many and her spirit shall imbue every one of us. Her legacy shall continue as she has reminded us not to give up hope as waking up to a new day is a gift.  Lau Ching Kong Aaron, MEd (HKU)

VIRTUAL INFORMATION SESSIONS FOR MEDICAL ETHICS AND LAW PROGRAMME   Identical Information Sessions on Zoom 19 January 2022 (Wed) | 7:00 pm – 7:45 pm (HKT) Register here. 16 February 2022 (Wed) | 7:00 pm – 7:45 pm (HKT) Register here. Learn more about the programme here.   HKU CENTRE FOR MEDICAL ETHICS AND LAW (CMEL) CMEL’S WEBINAR ON INFORMED CONSENT IN HEALTHCARE   Title: Relational Autonomy: Rethinking Informed Consent in Healthcare from Cross-Cultural and Religious Perspectives (Webinar) Date: 26 January 2022 (Wed), 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm (HKT) Abstract: The requirement of informed consent in healthcare and biomedical research tends to be construed and implemented in ways that are overtly individualistic and without adequate recognition of the attending social, cultural and religious conditions. Drawing from contributions in the edited monographs "Cross-Cultural and Religious Critiques of Informed Consent" and "Medical Decision-Making on Behalf of Young Children", contributing authors and commentators discuss key arguments and implications of this contribution to the bioethical literature on informed consent. Details and registration: click here CMEL’S WEBINAR ON HONG KONG HEALTH LAW 2021 Title: Annual Review of Hong Kong Health Law in 2021 (Webinar) (CPD/CME to be applied for)   Date: 23 February 2022 (Wed), 6:30 pm – 8 pm (HKT) Abstract: Year 2021 saw a number of significant and noteworthy statutory and case law developments affecting medical and health law in Hong Kong. This webinar will take a look at some of these developments. This webinar will be jointly organised with Messrs Howse Williams. Details and registration link will be made available on CMEL’s website soon.   VIDEO: VIRTUAL CONFERENCE ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, COVID-19, AND THE NEXT PANDEMIC  CMEL’s Co-Director Dr Calvin W. L. Ho and Research Fellow Dr Eric C. Ip participated in a virtual conference entitled "Intellectual Property, Covid-19, and the Next Pandemic: Diagnosing Problems, Developing Cures" as a speaker on 5 November 2021 and as a moderator on 6 November 2021 respectively. The title of Dr Ho’s presentation was "Governing the ACT-Accelerator: Current Challenges to Access and Innovation, and Opportunities for Change". The conference was co-organised by the Law and Technology Centre of the University of Hong Kong and the Georgetown University Law Center.  The video recording is available here. VIDEO: WEBINAR ON REPRODUCTIVE GENETIC SCREENING CMEL’s Dr Calvin W. L. Ho was one of the speakers at a virtual seminar entitled "Seminar on Genomics — Ethical and Governance Considerations for Reproductive Genetic Screening" held on 23 November 2021. His topic was the responsible implementation of expanded prenatal genetic testing in Hong Kong and Singapore. The seminar was organised by the CUHK Centre for Bioethics of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The video recording is available here.   HKU CENTRE FOR THE HUMANITIES AND MEDICINE (CHM) GLOBAL HEALTH AND HUMANITIES BOOK SERIES This virtual book series features recently published authors in conversation with established scholars working at the nexus of global health and the humanities, ethics, and law. Started by CMEL board members Dr Priscilla Song (Associate Professor in the Centre for the Humanities and Medicine) ("CHM") and Dr Harry Wu (former Director of the Medical Ethics and Humanities Unit) during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic social distancing restrictions in Hong Kong, the book series has played an important role in facilitating virtual engagement among faculty and students at the University of Hong Kong with scholars around the world. Authors featured in the book series to date include: Dr Yanzhong Huang (Toxic Politics: China's Environmental Health Crisis and its Challenge to the Chinese State, Cambridge University Press 2020) Dr Eugene Richardson (Epidemic Illusions: On the Coloniality of Global Public Health, MIT Press 2020) Dr Wayne Soon (Global Medicine in China: A Diasporic History, Stanford University Press 2020) Dr Harry Wu (Mad by the Millions: Mental Disorders and the Early Years of the World Health Organization, MIT Press 2021) Professor Li Zhang (Anxious China: Inner Revolution and Politics of Psychotherapy, University of California Press 2020) The next upcoming book talk in the series will feature Dr Ido Hartogsohn (American Trip: Set, Setting and the Psychedelic Experience in the 20th Century, MIT Press 2020): Talk Title: Beyond the substance: psychedelics and the challenge of medical research and drug policy Speaker: Dr Ido Hartogsohn, PhD (Assistant Professor in the Graduate Program in Science, Technology and Society, Bar Ilan University, Israel) Discussants: Professor Gordon Mathews (Department of Anthropology, Chinese University of Hong Kong) & Dr Alex Gearin (Medical Ethics and Humanities Unit, University of Hong Kong) Book Information: American Trip: Set, Setting and the Psychedelic Experience in the 20th Century (MIT Press 2020) Date/Time: 10 January 2022 (Mon), 5:00 pm HKT (Other Time Zones: 9:00 am London / 11:00 am Tel Aviv / 8:00 pm Sydney) Delivery: via Zoom Registration: click here Talk abstract: Medical science and drug policy approaches have often been based on essentialist definitions of drug action and dichotomous distinctions between licit drugs and drugs of abuse. In recent years, though, a growing awareness of the context-dependency and socio-cultural situatedness of drug effects has opened up the prospect of rethinking medical drug research and drug policy in light of social constructivist insights into drug effects, which place the emphasis on the cruciality of set and setting (context) rather than chemical essentialism. Based on Ido Hartogsohn’s American Trip: Set, Setting and the Psychedelic Experience in the 20th Century (MIT Press, 2020), the talk will use the story of mid-twentieth-century American psychedelic research and culture as a backdrop for an examination of social-constructivist insights into the context-dependency of drug effects and their implications for medical research and drug policy. Additional book talks in the spring 2022 lineup will feature the following authors: February 2022: Dr Scott Stonington (The Spirit Ambulance: Choreographing the End of Life in Thailand, University of California Press 2020) March 2022: Dr Abigail Neely (Reimagining Social Medicine from the South, Duke University Press 2021)  For more details about upcoming book talks, please check out the Events page of the Centre for the Humanities and Medicine. HKU MEDICAL ETHICS AND HUMANITIES UNIT (MEHU) MEHU’S FILM SCREENING AND DISCUSSION EVENT: "ALIVE IN THE MORTUARY" The Medical Ethics and Humanities Unit (MEHU) is a teaching and research unit of the LKS Faculty of Medicine inaugurated in 2012.  MEHU seeks to inspire interest and scholarly work in medical ethics and humanities through the corresponding curricula in the undergraduate MBBS programme, as well as events and collaborations with academic and community-based colleagues.  MEHU welcomes colleagues to get involved with its "Conversations and Connections" event series, which brings together diverse voices to stimulate discussion and thought around the issues that matter to those who practice and use healthcare. Speakers have ranged from healthcare professionals to creative artists, philosophers, Olympic athletes, advocates for transgender rights, humanitarian workers, and medico-legal experts. The first event of this year’s series kicked off with a screening and lively panel discussion of the film "Alive in the Mortuary" based on an award-winning script by local playwright Ms Chong Mui Ngam and produced by Hong Kong’s own Chung Ying Theatre company. Students and staff joined to watch the film which follows a medical graduate from Hong Kong University who becomes a surgeon working in a challenging war environment in Africa. The character encounters a series of ethical and existential dilemmas while stuck in a mortuary and confronted by an apparition of his younger self. After the film, the vibrant panel discussion was led by HKUMed neurosurgeon Dr Anderson Tsang in conversation with the artistic director of the film, Mr Dominic Cheung, and nurse and midwife Ms Tobey Lee who worked with Medicins sans Frontieres in a refugee field hospital in Africa. The speakers highlighted the power of theatre in communicating the ambiguous experiences and ethical challenges of medicine to the broader public. Reflecting on the main character in the film, Director Cheung reminded the audience of the importance of grasping our initial motivations, passions, and dreams during times of ethical crisis and challenge. For more information about the MH "Conversations and Connections" series or to be included on the mailing list please contact coordinator, Dr Alex Gearin (akgearin@hku.hk).

PERSPECTIVE FROM A FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST AND AN ADVOCATE FOR VICTIMS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE  Our Dr Philip Beh recently had the honour of being interviewed in the SCOM Talk Show hosted by the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong. In the interview, Dr Beh talked about his experiences as a forensic pathologist and his views on the concept of "death". As an advocate for victims of sexual violence, he shared his views on the governmental policies and law. Click here for the video (in Cantonese only).    PROPOSAL OF A VACCINE PASS SYSTEM FOR HONG KONG  In two radio programmes on Radio Television Hong Kong, "Talkabout" and "Open Line Open View", our Dr Calvin W. L. Ho shared his views on the proposal to introduce a local vaccine pass system for entering designated premises, such as workplaces, schools and public places, in Hong Kong. Click the links below to learn more:    Article:  https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1619471-20211112.htm?fbclid=IwAR2it-9FBlf9tdRSOZEiM11HozzxI1XrT0saHVNkER_F2BszBSVbUHLPtYI Podcast (starting from 37:42) (in Cantonese only): https://www.rthk.hk/radio/radio1/programme/openline_openview/episode/786229?fbclid=IwAR0jfp2fvlfSoLrh9Sno_4dq6p6vaKT2h2g-UPIDaWKHW5iLGhDpJf_5XuA  CALL TO ENGAGE IN CONSENSUS BUILDING In the journal Cell Genomics, our Dr Calvin W. L. Ho explains how the Regulatory & Ethics Toolkit of Global Alliance for Genomics & Health can support consensus building in genomics research from the bottom up. Learn more here: https://www.cell.com/cell-genomics/fulltext/S2666-979X(21)00043-4   GOVERNANCE OF ONE HEALTH HKU Bulletin features the research and policy work of our Dr Calvin W. L. Ho on One Health and its challenges from legal and ethics perspectives. Learn more here: https://bulletin.hku.hk/cover-story-theme/disunity-of-purpose/

NEW PATHWAY FOR NON-LOCALLY TRAINED DOCTORS TO PRACTISE IN HONG KONG The Legislative Council of Hong Kong recently passed the Medical Registration (Amendment) Bill 2021 to create a new pathway for non-locally trained medical practitioners to practise in Hong Kong. Click here for a news article on this. BAN ON ALTERNATIVE SMOKING PRODUCTS IN HONG KONG The Smoking (Public Health) (Amendment) Bill 2019 was recently passed by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. The amendments brought about by the bill will, among other things, prohibit the import, manufacture and sale of "alternative smoking products". Read more here. APPEAL IN THE DR BEAUTY GROSS NEGLIGENCE MANSLAUGHTER CASE: HKSAR v CHOW HEUNG WING, STEPHEN AND CHAN KWUN CHUNG [2021] HKCA 1655 In the infamous "DR Beauty" case, the deceased underwent at a clinic of the DR Group a cellular therapy treatment known as "CIK" treatment whereby blood extracted from her was taken to a laboratory to undergo a process of culturing, after which it was infused back into her. The blood was contaminated before it was infused back into her, who died from "multi-organ failure" afterwards. The first defendant ("D1") and the second defendant ("D2"), who were in charge of the DR Group and processed the blood respectively, sought leave to appeal against both their convictions and sentences. The Court of Appeal refused leave to appeal against their conviction and dismissed their appeals against conviction but allowed their appeals against sentence. Upon consideration, the Court of Appeal reduced the sentences, in the case of D1, to 10 years’ imprisonment and, in the case of D2, to 8 years’ imprisonment. Click here for a summary of the Judgment.  DOCTOR JAILED FOR GROSS NEGLIGENCE MANSLAUGHTER OVER DEATH OF A LIPOSUCTION PATIENT: HKSAR v KWAN HAU CHI, VANESSA [2021] HKCFI 2978 A medical doctor was sentenced to 6 years’ imprisonment in Hong Kong for gross negligence manslaughter in respect of the death of her patient, who died in 2014 following a liposuction procedure performed by the doctor.   Click here for a summary of the Reasons for Sentence. NEW REGULATORY REGIME FOR PRIVATE HEALTHCARE FACILITIES In the postscript to the Reasons for Sentence in HKSAR v Kwan Hau Chi, Vanessa, the case above, the judge observed that the incident was "a classic example of the need not only of the regulation of private healthcare facilities in Hong Kong but of the ease at which medical practitioners can conduct high-risk medical procedures in these facilities" and noted that the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance (Cap. 633) ("PHFO") was gazetted subsequent to the incident. PHFO introduces a new regulatory regime for private healthcare facilities (PHFs). Four types of PHFs (hospitals, day procedure centres, clinics and health services establishments) are subject to regulation. This new regime is being implemented in phases. Click here for a simple guide to the PHFO.

CENTRE FOR MEDICAL ETHICS AND LAW HKU ABOUT The Centre for Medical Ethics and Law (CMEL) develops new ideas and solutions in response to the big ethical, legal and policy questions of medicine and health. CMEL is the first cross-faculty interdisciplinary institution of its kind in the region. It was founded in 2012 by the LKS Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Law at The University of Hong Kong as a joint inheritor of their vibrant intellectual traditions dating back to 1887 and 1969 respectively. Today, CMEL brings together bioethicists, academic lawyers, medical scientists, and other scholars to conduct cutting edge bioethical and legal research and contribute to policy development in flagship areas like population and global health, mental health and capacity, and digital health and emergent technologies.   Research, teaching and knowledge exchange—CMEL’s core initiatives—aim to ensure that developments in biomedicine and public health will be underpinned by ethical and legal considerations.

CONTACT Centre for Medical Ethics and Law Office 9.21, 9TH Floor, Cheng Yu Tung Tower, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR T +852 3917 1845 F +852 2549 8495 cmel@hku.hk        www.cmel.hku.hk