With the British Parliament deliberating the further liberalisation of its
fertility laws to allow hybrid human-animal embryos, the leading journal Nature
has sought guidance from the Grand Old Lady of British bioethics, Dame Mary
Warnock. Back in 1984 Dame Mary supervised the drafting of the original law
regulating fertility treatment and embryo experimentation.

In a special essay she argues that decisions about matters which some members
of the public may find repugnant must be guided by public morality, whose
principles differ from those of private morality. Religious considerations must
be overlooked as Britain is not "intrinsically religious". The appropriate
standard is "weighing up possible goods against possible harms" (which do not
include offending particular interest groups). The final decision should be made
by expert committees whose members are not guided by "ignorance and prejudice".
~ Nature, Nov 29

Author of IVF law says committees preserve from ignorance and prejudice

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Michael Cook

Michael Cook edits BioEdge, a bioethics newsletter, and MercatorNet, an on-line magazine whose focus is human dignity. He writes from Sydney, Australia.

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