Amanda Odell-West

The prohibition against “use” of human embryos on the basis of the embryo's moral status in patent law sits uncomfortably with what is widely considered its ethical "use" (including destruction) in other areas. For example, the approach to human embryo use in scientific research is tangential to that developed in patent jurisprudence, although the former “use” accords with widely shared ethical principles in science and medicine as represented by the “14-day rule”. The rule was recommended in the Warnock Report (1984) and has since formed part of the regulations of the UK’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (as amended) until the present date. The expanding fertility industry also uses human embryos (within the patent law meaning of "use") for the provision of fertility services pursuant to contractual arrangements. The question I explore is whether the 14-day rule for research on pre-implantation human embryos ought to apply to permit the patentability of a wider range of innovation in embryonic stem cell science to benefit society, or whether the principle of human dignity precludes such a bold suggestion?

Amanda welcomes applications for supervision from prospective PhD students.