Biotechnology law

This Commission was set up within UIA in 1999 pursuant to the initiative of Mr. Alain BENSOUSSAN who was its first President.

Ms. Geneviève AUGENDRE was the next President thereafter replaced by Mr. Bâtonnier Augusto LOPES CARDOSO.

The object of this working group is to deal with questions that bring into play the law and biotechnologies at the frontier of ethics, more clearly the questions of Bioethics which are, even on the strict juridical plan, matters at the forefront in that they bring into play Fundamental Rights. 

By reason of Bioethics nature, this Group is aware of the very limited participation of lawyers to discussing the themes thereunder considering that it calls for an interdisciplinary approach. It is therefore crucial to invite other specialists of scientific background such as Medicine, Biology, Philosophy or Economy.  The experience of such a participation was already considered at the recent convention in Sevilla.

The themes already considered have been:

1999

1. Evidence in matters involving Biotechnology

2. The situation of the patentability of the human genome

2000

3. Cloning:  ethical and juridical aspects

4. Experimentation and protocols in respect of therapeutic testing

2002

5. The patentability of living matter 

2003

6. Genetic tests and data on genetic prints

2004

7. Genic therapy and ethics

8. Evolution of the possibility of research on embryo

9. What Health for our children? (with the Commission on Children’s Law)

2005

10. Genetic data base: the digital world a challenge for the law

11. The study of a case of body damages from its first report to inquiry, preparation and presentation of the case and the judicial decision

12. The rights of children under Islam (with the Commission on Children’s Law)

13. The rights of the digital Man: problems and experiences

2006

14. The exchange on nominal data and cross border flow

15. The birth resulting from a fault

2007

16. The right of web 2.0 identity and virtual identity

2008

17. Biotechnology and food security

2009

18. The principle of autonomy – the autonomy of a person’s will, namely of the patient on his/her body, the treatments given to him/her, his/her own life

The Commission of biotechnology law brings together each year an important number of participants concerned altogether with biotechnology law, bioethics and health law or the Right to health.

The Commission is of interest to all of you concerned of an ethical reflection pertaining to Human Rights