Drafting the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights
Stem cell research, genetic testing and cloning were once nothing more than ideas of science fiction, but for decades now human kind has been working to unravel the mysteries of these ideas. While breakthroughs in life sciences do provide us the ability to improve our health and control the development of living species there are valid concerns about the social, cultural, legal and ethical implications of this technology. This concern has led to one of the most significant debates of the past century and a new word has been coined to encompass these concerns: bioethics. In this exclusive interview for The Wire, Justice Michael Kirby of the High Court of Australia speaks with David Jobling about the most recent draft of The Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights.