UK fertility law changes up for public review News
UK fertility law changes up for public review

[JURIST] Public commentary on the proposed revisions to Britain's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act (1990) [official text] began Tuesday, as the government opened up communication for medical professionals and the general public to provide commentary on proposed changes to the fertility legislation. The HFEA 1990 created the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority [official website], which decided that as part of its recommendations to the UK Parliament, that it would solicit public opinion on some of the more controversial issues up for review in the Act's revision. Among these is the question of whether research should be allowed into fields that would permit early detection of "lower penetrance" genetic problems resulting in different kinds of cancer. The proposed revisions to the Act also include tightening up internet-based sales of genetic material, addressing ethical concerns about techniques such as picking gender, and other legal issues surrounding in vitro fertilization. Read the HFEA's backgrounder on proposed amendments the HFEA 1990. BBC News has more.