The overall theme of this volume is the understanding of human dignity, autonomy, and human rights in health care and social services in modern welfare states, with special reference to the Nordic countries. Focus is put on vulnerable groups such as children, individuals with cognitive impairment or mental illness, and persons with physical disabilities. Experts from different disciplines identify the ethical and legal dilemmas in modern welfare services and describe how basic values and/or rights come in conflict in concrete situations. Of particular interest is how the human rights perspective challenges the policies and regulations of modern welfare states while at the same time providing the overall normative direction for solving ethical, legal, and social conflicts or shortcomings. Although the human rights perspective is the most dominant, insights from philosophy and the social sciences provide both a necessary and fruitful supplement to the legal approach. The volume will be of interest for academics, researchers, and students in the field of health care ethics, human rights, and welfare state policies. It presents a challenging outlook on dilemmas that are characteristic for the modern welfare state in general, and for the Nordic countries in particular, and it will give the reader important insights and references for further studies.

Juridification refers to a diverse set of processes involving shifts towards more detailed legal regulation, regulations of new areas, and conflicts and problems increasingly being framed in legal and rights-oriented terms. What impact do these international and national regulations have upon vulnerable groups in terms of inclusion, exclusion and social citizenship? The nature and effects of current juridification processes are hotly debated amongst social scientists and legal scholars.Bringing empirical analysis and multidisciplinary, comparative perspectives to the previously fragmented and largely theoretical debate on juridification in the welfare state, this book asks key questions such as: To what extent do international human rights norms secure basic welfare services to vulnerable groups?; How do different regulations affect democratic participation?; What is the role of professionals in the distribution of welfare services? Researchers, students and academics with an interest in law, human rights, social policy and the role of professionals in the welfare state will find much of value in this book. Contributors: H.S. Aasen, S. Bothfeld, L. Brandt, B. Bringedal, S. Bygnes, K. Baeroe, C. Cappelen, T. Eidsvaag, K.J. Fredriksen, O. Ferraz, R. Gargarella, S. Gloppen, E. Le Bruyn Goldeng, A. Kjellevold, S. Kremer, I.R. Lundeberg, A.-M. Magnussen, K. Mjaland, O. Maestad, E. Nilssen, L. Rakner, P. Stephens, H. Stokke, W. van Rossum

'Health and human rights' is an important dimension of international and European human rights and health law. It is multi-disciplinary, engaging scholars and practitioners of public health and medicine, as well as legal scholars and human rights lawyers. Taking a 'health and human rights approach' means applying international, regional and domestic human rights law to a wide range of health-related issues. Human rights law informs other areas of law that engage with health issues, including international and domestic health law, biolaw and bioethics, patients' rights, and environmental law. It brings a new, and often more international, as well as a moral dimension to existing legal analyses of health issues. This is essential in an increasingly interconnected and globalised world, where health concerns are omnipresent and can no longer be addressed solely at a domestic level. This book focuses on the legal interfaces between 'health' and 'human rights', taking both a global as well as a European approach. Globally, there are tremendous challenges when it comes to the protection of collective and individual health. Such challenges include weak (primary) healthcare systems, the spread of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, and the increase of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), as well as the health effects of air pollution and climate change. In such settings, human rights can, potentially, play an important role in protecting the rights of vulnerable individuals. It is a compelling framework for assessing these and other questions in the health field, as it couples health-related problems with a legal and moral dimension. The international recognition and definition of the 'right to health' is at the centre of this, but there are many other relevant human rights standards, including the right to life, the right to respect for privacy and family life, and the right to have access to information. International case law in the health field has made its mark when it comes to matters like access to health services, abortion, and inhuman and degrading treatment in health settings. Increasingly, links are being sought between human rights and other international standards protecting health, in particular the standards adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO). The European context is, to some extent, a region sui generis, not only in terms of health issues and health outcomes, but also from a political and legal perspective. The authoritative case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) of the Council of Europe has increasingly touched upon health-related issues. Health and Human Rights brings together contributions from human rights and health law experts from three different countries in Northern Europe. Together, the chapters give a rich account of the legal and interdisciplinary aspects and perspectives related to 'health and human rights'. This book is of interest to lecturers, students, practitioners and law- and policymakers and offers up-to-date analyses of crucial human rights issues in modern healthcare, practices and regulations in Europe and beyond.

As an instrument which addresses the circumstances which affect women's lives and enjoyment of rights in a diverse world, the CEDAW is slowly but surely making its mark on the development of international and national law. Using national case studies from South Asia, Southern Africa, Australia, Canada and Northern Europe, Women's Human Rights examines the potential and actual added value of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in comparison and interaction with other equality and anti-discrimination mechanisms. The studies demonstrate how state and non-state actors have invoked, adopted or resisted the CEDAW and related instruments in different legal, political, economic and socio-cultural contexts, and how the various international, regional and national regimes have drawn inspiration and learned from each other.

As an instrument which addresses the circumstances which affect women's lives and enjoyment of rights in a diverse world, the CEDAW is slowly but surely making its mark on the development of international and national law. Using national case studies from South Asia, Southern Africa, Australia, Canada and Northern Europe, Women's Human Rights examines the potential and actual added value of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in comparison and interaction with other equality and anti-discrimination mechanisms. The studies demonstrate how state and non-state actors have invoked, adopted or resisted the CEDAW and related instruments in different legal, political, economic and socio-cultural contexts, and how the various international, regional and national regimes have drawn inspiration and learned from each other.