There has been a paucity of research and teaching in public health law in the United Kingdom in comparison with developments in other jurisdictions. The Nuffield Trust, together with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Centre for Research in Primary and Community Care, sponsored a series of lectures over 2005 on the theme of the role of law in public health. This lecture series, organised by Dr Richard Coker and Professor Robyn Martin, had two objectives. The first was to highlight to policy makers any particular areas of law in the context of public health which are in need of consideration and reform. The second objective was to raise awareness of the importance of law as a tool for the attainment of better public health.
The essays in this publication are edited versions of the lectures and discussions which followed them. The publication can be downloaded here with the grateful acknowledgement of the copyright holders and the Royal Society for Public Health.