Drawing the Line: Comparison of the Public Health (Prevention, Control & Management of Epidemics, Bio-Terrorism & Disasters) Bill, 2017 with the Health Law in the United Kingdom
The Public Health (Prevention, Control, and Management of Epidemics, Bio-Terrorism & Disasters) Bill, 2017 was drafted with an aim to manage epidemics and public health concerns in an effective manner. It entrusted with the executive many sweeping powers without providing adequate safeguards. Although legislation of this kind is novel to the Indian scenario, similar legislation have already been enacted in different parts of the globe. This article is an attempt to compare the provisions of the impugned bill with those in the United Kingdom. The Public Health Bill, 2017 (India) is compared with the Public Health Control of Disease Act, 1984 (UK), the Civil Contingencies Act, 2004, and the recent Coronavirus Act, 2020. The aspect of Bioterrorism, although significant, is beyond the scope of this article and hence not elaborated upon.
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