Rethinking legislative consent law?

Rethinking informed consent: the case for shared medical decision-making.

In law, with rare exception such as legislative action, change is evolutionary and methodical. Unlike biomedical science where a breakthrough can quickly lead to dramatic changes in medical practice, legal precedent is more adherent and must evolve either through the legislative process or on a court by court basis in case law. Nevertheless, compelling evidence will pave the road to change with...

Rethinking informed consent.

Challenges to informed consent.

New scientific discoveries and new technologies soon challenge our old ways of proceeding and thinking. It is no surprise then that new knowledge in molecular genetics and the ensuing developments in genetic technology bring with them new modes of thought, not just in science and medicine, but also in ethics, law and public policy. One tradition that is being challenged at the moment is the not...

Regulating Consent to Human Embryo Research: A Critique of Health Canada’s Proposal

Act received Royal Assent. The law includes an explicit prohibition on the creation of human embryos for research. Consequently, the only embryos available for research use are those created, but no longer required, for reproductive purposes. This legislative requirement explicitly transforms Canadian IVF clinics into partners in the research enterprise, as they are, by law, the sole providers ...

The age of sexual consent.

In 1899 the age of sexual consent in some American jurisdictions was 9 years. It has ranged from 7 to 21 years and at present the range is from 11 to 18 years. The age selected seems to be an arbitrary matter, the product of legislative compromise. The age of sexual consent should not be so early that little protection is provided for a child. Conversely, it should not be so late that a man can...