18 - A Tale of Two Legacies

Summary

This chapter engages with ‘legacy’ in two respects. It argues that Article 15 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the so-called right to science, has no legacy. It has achieved only marginal real-world impact and remains largely aspirational – all potential. By contrast, Graeme Laurie’s legacy, grounded in the public good and a strong sense of humanism, is significant and informative. Through multiple strands and projects, he has engaged deeply with the social contract between actors in the health setting, developing and refining the tools that could be used to help shape science and science governance in positive ways. Through an exploration of Article 15 ICESCR and select examples of Graeme’s scholarship, this chapter argues that the manifestation of Graeme’s legacy – the calling upon of his legacy – is what we need to generate some positive legacy for the sadly fallow ‘right to science’ articulated in Article 15 ICESCR. If we do this, it might one day have a legacy of its own.