International Research Journal of Arts and Social Sciences

Abstract

Although Bioethics Law and Biotechnology Law have been taught in a number of law schools around the world, these two subjects are not typically taught in Malaysian law schools. Many Malaysian law schools would rather incorporate elements of Bioethics Law and Biotechnology Law into more conventional subjects like Intellectual Property Law and Medical Law than offer Bioethics Law and Biotechnology Law as specialized subjects at the undergraduate or postgraduate levels. An examination of the law school curriculum at six public universities in Malaysia reveals that these components are insufficient to provide Malaysian law students with sufficient exposure to and comprehension of bioethics and biotechnology law, particularly pertinent bioethics issues.

Keywords

Teaching Bioethics Law, Biotechnology Law, Malaysian Law School

INTRODUCTION

The first public law school in Malaysia opened in 1953, and there are currently seven of them (Kamilan IH, 2011). University Malaya, University Kebangsaan Malaysia, International Islamic University of Malaysia, University Institute Technology Malaysia, University Utara Malaysia, University Sains Islam Malaysia, and University Sultan Zainal Abidin University are among them. Since law is a professional degree just like in any other country, the Qualifying Board, established by the Legal Profession Act of 1976, strictly regulates legal education. As part of the law academic curriculum in Malaysia, law schools are required to teach Contract Law, Tort Law, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Land Law, Equity, and Trust Law (Bohrer RA, 2004). In order to improve the students' capacity for critical thinking and decision-making, bioethics was incorporated into the BI Group through a variety of methods, including moral games, case analyses, and argumentation and debate activities. Bioethics Integration aims to make students more aware of and responsible for the new trends in biology by reducing rote learning and teacher-centeredness (O'Brien TD, 1925). Optional elective topics include intellectual property law, medical law, consumer law, and sale of goods law. Bioethics Law and Biotechnology Law are currently not offered by any Malaysian law schools as electives or core subjects (Jordaan DW, 2009). Common bioethical and biotech issues, on the other hand, are discussed in more conventional fields like medical law and intellectual property law (Lenoir N, 2006). This paper aims to compare and contrast the content of intellectual property law and medical law courses currently taught in Malaysian law schools with that of the UNESCO Ethics Teaching Guidelines.

METHOD

Present Situation of Bioethics and Biotechnology Showing in Malaysian Graduate School

Shows that all Malaysian law schools offer Intellectual Property Law and Medical Law at the undergraduate postgraduate or both levels Copyright, industrial design, trademarks, and patents are the main components of intellectual property law (Caplan A, 1992). Patent law, which focuses primarily on biotechnology patents, patentable inventions, and non-patentable inventions, is one of the main components of intellectual property law. Interestingly, opposition to public order is one of the grounds for determining that a biotechnology invention that is otherwise patentable is no patentable (Romeo- Casabona CM, 2004). Bioethics topics include bio piracy and the patentability of genetic resources and traditional knowledge.

Ethics Core Curriculum from UNESCO

In accordance with the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights, countries that were members of UNESCO agreed to the Ethics Core Curriculum. The primary objective of this document was to introduce bioethics to universities (Adcock M, 2004). It is said that bioethics is not required at many universities in many countries, including Malaysia. Even though medical students are the primary audience for the UNESCO Ethics Core Curriculum, social science students, including those studying law, should also be given the chance to study bioethics. This is due to the fact that bioethics applies to all professions, not just the medical profession. The Bioethics Education Syllabus of the UNESCO is comparable to the Bioethics component that Medical Law offers at law schools (BEREANO PL, 1999). Medical ethics and professionalism were covered in both syllabuses, as were legal issues in medical law like abortion, paternalism, informed consent, the autonomy patient, and brain death. Specific issues covering Morals Council Strategy Making, Wellbeing Proficient Bioethics, Medical services and Exploration Morals structure part of the Great Clinical Practice Studios which are offered a few times each year by the Service of Wellbeing.

PROPOSAL AND CONCLUSION

It is admirable that medical law and intellectual property law are offered with strong bioethics components. It is also timely that all Malaysian law schools must teach bioethics and biotechnology law. However, the Law Dean Council, the Bar Council, and the Qualifying Board must work together to accomplish this. In point of fact, the unavoidable development of biotechnology and bioengineering has piqued a great deal of their interest. Consequently, they naturally have a propensity to interpret it through ethical inquiry, which can be enhanced through Bioethics Integration. As a result, bioethics education may be expected to impart a set of skills and attitudes that enable students to examine current social and ethical issues professionally and personally (Townend DMR, 2004). Value judgments can help students develop the responsibility to deal with moral ambiguity and disagreement by stimulating the moral imagination of students through analysis of key concepts and principles and recognition of ethical issues. The Medical Council's involvement may also be beneficial. The street to having Bioethics and Biotechnology Regulation as an obligatory subject might take some time, obstruction from conservative is normal, not to Notice the on-going contact hours a regulation understudy needs to finish before graduation. However, it is almost certain that Malaysia will gain from having bioethical lawyers.

CONCLUSION

Educating students to become decision-makers and critical thinkers is a fundamental objective. This is done to help students become more knowledgeable about the problems that society currently faces as a result of biological advancements. Because the application of scientific knowledge is the primary concern of the subject matter, life science classes can help students improve their critical thinking and decision-making skills. Students will share the responsibility of valuing inquiry into moral issues that are very important in today's world. As a result, they may be able to independently comprehend and simplify the increasing complexity brought about by technology. Therefore, bioethics integration may be an appropriate strategy for enhancing secondary students' capacity for critical thinking and decision-making. Science, which is a big part of how the physical world is changing, can be taught in a way that encourages students to think in higher order.