RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTAL WITH HUMAN EMBRYO: ETHICS AND LEGAL ASPECTS

Following the 2005 law project that regulates the assisted reproduction techniques, the present study retakes the ethical and legal debate concerning the admissibility of non-therapeutic genetic manipulation with human embryo. Contrary to the current legislation, the above mentioned project allows the manipulation of human viable embryo, understanding viable as those that would be able to develop as a human being, accordingly to the article 10.1 of the Constitution (STC 212/1996 a sensu contrario). Besides brief reports of the adopted legislated solution taken by some of our neighbouring Countries, we here report the present legislation concerning the matter as well as the one that should soon be replaced. Also, after that the lawfulness of these practices, from the ethical point of view together with the legal rules that approve the protection of human life under the Constitutional system, would be analysed.