ABSTRACT

In the United Kingdom, research on human embryos and on human gametes used in studies on the process of fertilization is lawful but regulated. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act (HFE Act) of 1990 set up a regulatory body, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), which since 1991 has had a statutory responsibility for administering the Act. This chapter deals solely with that part of the HFE Act and its administration that concerns the statutory regulation of research and particularly with the application of research results to clinical practice: technology transfer or therapeutic research. Given that regulation of research and therapy involving human embryos in vitro seems to be becoming an inevitable feature of most Societies, the general principles underlying regulation by the HFE Act seem to be broadly constructive and have led to workable practices. The chapter further proposes several criteria for maximal effectiveness of a statutory regulatory body.