(Population) Health Law in Theory

This essay explores the viability of using the population health legal norm developed by Professor Wendy Parmet in her book Populations, Public Health, and the Law as a basis for theorizing health law. Based on the application of five criteria, the essay concludes that a population health legal norm has potential as a framework for theorizing health law, especially in comparison to other proposed health law theories. Yet, its potential turns on the ability of theorists to provide a detailed account of individual rights under a population health framework.