ABSTRACT
Regarding the legal status of family members in genetics, it is necessary to define the family. The lack of cure for genetic disorders leads some legal commentators to doubt whether genetic information should be conveyed freely within the family. Family members can freely decide whether or not they want to be part of the covenant. A family whose relationship is dominated by resentment, anger, and frustration will not be willing to conduct a serious discussion about genetic information. Some legal commentators concerned with disclosure of genetic information to family members assume a definition of the family in this context by blood ties and marriage. The limited legal status of the patient's family members derives from an individualistic perception of patient autonomy and from the incompatibility between this perception and the ethics of families. Familymembers believe that their interests with regard to this information should be legally recognised.
