Scandinavian Legal Realism and the Challenge of Recognizing Emergency Medical Service as a Legal Norm

Abstract

Emergency medical service (EMS) forms a sub-category of the internationally recognized right to health. However, despite the codification of the right to health in various human rights conventions which have been implemented in national legislation, EMS still seems to be regarded as an economic expense or a political decision rather than a legal norm or a human right. This paper evaluates the causes for such a misunderstanding, primarily through Scandinavian Legal Realism which emphasizes the social contextualization of law. Supplementary scholarly views, as well as a history of human rights, are also applied to support the main arguments. Essentially, the paper claims that the challenge of recognizing EMS as a legal norm is associated with the relatively abstract and impersonalized nature of emergency care.