The chapters in this volume focus on the future of law and related disciplines: human rights and access to medical care, corruption and money laundering in state procurement, counterfeit medical products, IPR waiver on COVID-19 vaccines, emergency powers, freedom of expression, prison healthcare, the impact on labour law, access to courts and digital court processes, access to education and the impact on insurance law are but a few possible topics which are addressed.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an enduring effect across the entire spectrum of law and policy, in areas ranging from health equity and racial justice, to constitutional law, the law of prisons, federal benefit programs, election law and much more. This collection provides a critical reflection on what changes the pandemic has already introduced, and what its legacy may be. Chapters evaluate how healthcare and government institutions have succeeded and failed during this global 'stress test,' and explore how the US and the world will move forward to ensure we are better prepared for future pandemics. This timely volume identifies the right questions to ask as we take stock of pandemic realities and provides guidance for the many stakeholders of COVID-19's legal legacy. This book is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

The COVID-19 pandemic not only ravaged human bodies but also had profound and possibly enduring effects on the health of political and legal systems, economies and societies. Almost overnight, governments imposed the severest restrictions in modern times on rights and freedoms, elections, parliaments and courts. Legal and political institutions struggled to adapt, creating a catalyst for democratic decline and catastrophic increases in poverty and inequality. This handbook analyses the global pandemic response through five themes: governance and democracy; human rights; the rule of law; science, public trust and decision making; and states of emergency and exception. Containing 12 thematic commentaries and 25 chapters on countries of diverse size, wealth and experience of COVID-19, it represents the combined effort of more than 50 contributors, including leading scholars and rising voices in the fields of constitutional, international, public health, human rights and comparative law, as well as political science, and science and technology studies. Taking stock after the onset of global emergency, this book provides essential analysis for politicians, policy-makers, jurists, civil society organisations, academics, students and practitioners at both national and international level on the best, and most concerning, practices adopted in response to COVID-19 – and key insights into how states and multilateral institutions should reform, adapt and prepare for future emergencies.

For most legal teams operating in the COVID-19 age, the focus on near-term survival has passed, and attention has turned to what the 'new normal' might be. With the pandemic overhauling the traditional way in which lawyers practise and serve their clients, the profession turning remote overnight and increasing their use of collaboration platforms and other legal tech, it is likely that legal practice has changed for good, and those prepared to embrace and seize opportunities from this change will be best-placed to flourish in the years ahead. Legal Practice Transformation Post-COVID-19 imagines the post-COVID world for legal services and asks what has changed, what will stay the same and what values are critical to ensure the successful operation of legal teams in the post-pandemic age. It considers a variety of aspects crucial to the future of the legal profession, including: *The impact of technology; *Remote working; *Health and safety; and *Culture and community. This Special Report will be invaluable reading for lawyers in private practice, in-house counsel, professional support staff and all those involved in the delivery of legal services, to understand what the future of the profession will look like, and how to thrive within it.

International Arbitration and the COVID-19 Revolution Edited by Maxi Scherer, Niuscha Bassiri & Mohamed S. Abdel Wahab The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on all major economic sectors and industries has triggered profound and systemic changes in international arbitration. Moreover, the fact that entire proceedings are now being conducted remotely constitutes so significant a deviation from the norm as to warrant the designation ‘revolution’. This timely book is the first to describe and analyse how the COVID-19 crisis has redefined arbitral practice, with critical appraisal from well-known practitioners of the pandemic’s effects on substantive and procedural aspects from the commencement of proceedings until the enforcement of the award. With practical guidance from a variety of perspectives – legal, practical, and sector-specific – on the conduct of international arbitration during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, the chapters present leading practitioners’ insights into the unprecedented and multifaceted issues that arise. They provide expert tips and challenges in such practical matters as the following: preventing and resolving disputes of particular types – construction, energy, aviation, technology, media and telecommunication, finance and insurance; arbitrator appointments; issues of planning, preparation and sample procedural orders; witness preparation and cross-examination; e-signature of arbitral awards; setting aside and enforcement proceedings; and third-party funding. Also included are an empirical survey of users’ views and an overview of how the COVID-19 revolution has affected the arbitration rules of leading arbitral seats. With this timely and practical book, arbitration practitioners and scholars will gain up-to-date knowledge of sector-specific challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and approach arbitration proceedings with an understanding of the most important legal and practical considerations during the crisis and beyond.

COVID-19 is the most severe pandemic the world has experienced in a century. This book analyses major legal and regulatory responses internationally to COVID-19, and the impact the pandemic has had on human rights and freedoms, governance, the obligations of states and individuals, as well the role of the World Health Organization and other international bodies during this time. The authors examine notable legal challenges to public health measures enforced during the pandemic, such as lockdown orders, curfews, and vaccine mandates. Importantly, the book contextualizes the legal analysis by examining the broader social and economic dimensions of risks posed by the pandemic. The book considers how COVID-19 impacted the operation of the criminal justice system, civil litigation concerning negligently caused deaths and business losses arising from contractual breaches, consumer protection litigation, disciplinary regulation of health practitioners, coronial inquests and other investigations of unexpected deaths, and occupational health and safety issues. The book reflects on the role of the law in facilitating the remarkable scientific and epidemiological achievements during the pandemic, but also the challenges of ensuring the swift production and equitable distribution of treatments and vaccines. It concludes by considering the possibilities that the legal and regulatory responses to this pandemic have illuminated for effectively tackling future global health crises.