Reopening the contentious debate on human cloning
The contentious issues of human cloning and embryo research are back in the spotlight with a government review of the current legal ban starting today. An independent committee of experts convened by Federal Parliament met today in Sydney to launch the review process, which will examine advances in technology and changes in community expectation surrounding human cloning and embryo research. The committee, which is chaired by retired Federal Court Judge Justice John Lockhart, is due to report back to Parliament at the end of the year. The review comes as questions are being raised about Australia’s ability to maintain it’s position as a leader in scientific and medical research with such a ban in place. Wire reporter Sarah Bassiuoni spoke with Professor Ron Trent from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Sydney about the impact of current legislation on medical research.