A webinar on Legal and Ethical Aspects of Compulsory Vaccination conducted by the Legal Aid Centre, Faculty of Law, KDU was held on 14th October 2021. An eminent panel of speakers representing legal and medical fields namely, Professor Susirith Mendis, Senior Professor of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, KDU, Professor Jean Perera, Professor of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Chandana Liyanapatabendy PC and Mr Chanakya Jayadeva, Attorney at Law contributed to the webinar. Professor Mendis and Professor Perera stressed on the four pillars of medical ethics, the efficacy of a vaccine and collective responsibility of the public to be vaccinated in the interests of the greater good. Chandana Liyanapatabendy PC and Mr. Chankya Jayadeva provided a holistic overview of the applicable laws in Sri Lanka, a detailed analysis of their specific application to the COVID-19 Pandemic and international legal precedents which lay down principles relevant to mandatory vaccination. The participants of the webinar included members of academia and LLB undergraduates of Faculty of Law, KDU and others interested. The session concluded with an interactive Question and Answer session. It was organized by Ms. Lihini De Silva, Coordinator, Legal Aid Centre and Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, KDU and Mr. Anushka Perera, Lecturer, Faculty of Law, KDU and was moderated by Ms. Indira Ratwatte, Lecturer, Faculty of Law.
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