Riaz Hassan AM, FASSA |
The Ethical, Social and Legal Implications of the Human Genome Project1-2 December 2000, Flinders University, South Australia
Edited by Professor Riaz Hassan
The public awareness and curiosity about the ‘New Genetics’ or Genomics have been galvanised by the debates emanating from the scientific achievements of the Human Genome Project (HGP). The scientific aspirations of the HGP include complete mapping of the human genetic code and application of this knowledge to find cures for thousands of genetically transmitted diseases. It is the largest research project ever undertaken to understand how life works at the molecular level. It has been suggested that humanity is now entering a new scientific frontier which would, for the first time, open the so-called ‘book of life’. Besides the anticipated advances in biomedical sciences, the increased availability of genetic information will have many ethical, social, economic and legal implications which will profoundly affect human societies. Some of the ethical issues raised by increased genetic knowledge relate to the proper and fair use of genetic information by insurers, employers, courts, schools, adoption agencies, law enforcement bodies and the military. It raises questions about the confidentiality and privacy of genetic information, who should have access to individual genetic information, who owns it and how it will be used. Genetic information will have important consequences for individual identity and selfhood, as well as society’s perception of the individual. It also raises ethical and moral issues in the clinical areas of reproductive behaviour, genetic therapy and genetic enhancement. The economic implications relate to the issues of commercialisation of genetic knowledge and products. All of these issues have legal implications. An ASSA-Flinders University sponsored workshop was organised to explore, debate and discuss some of the above-mentioned ethical, social and legal issues. The Workshop was held on the 1st and 2nd of December 2000, at Flinders University, Adelaide, and was attended by 20 invited participants from Australia and overseas. A total of 15 papers were presented in the eight workshop sessions. These sessions were devoted to the following themes: The Human Genome Project and the Future of medicine; The New Genetics, Public Health and Health Inequalities; The Human Genome Project and the Human Identity; The Meaning of Being Human; Postgenomic Society: Scientific, Ethical and Social Challenges; God’s Mistakes: The Ethics and Etiquette of Managing Genetic Information; Ownership and Regulation of New Knowledge; Designer Babies; and Legal Implications of the Human Genome Project. Table of contents
Section 1: The Human Genome Project and The Post-Genomic Society - Scientific and Social Challenges
Section 2: The New Genetics, Public Health and Health Inequalities Section 3: The Human Genome Project and Human Identity Section 4: God's Mistakes: The Ethics and Etiquettes of Managing Genetic Information Section 5: The Legal, Economic and Ethical Implications of the Humam Genome Project
|