Main description:

The phenomenon of the New Genetics raises complex social problems, particularly those of privacy. This book offers ethical and legal perspectives on the questions of a right to know and not to know genetic information from the standpoint of individuals, their relatives, employers, insurers and the state. Graeme Laurie provides a unique definition of privacy, including a concept of property rights in the person, and argues for stronger legal protection of privacy in the shadow of developments in human genetics. He challenges the role and the limits of established principles in medical law and ethics, including respect for patient autonomy and confidentiality. This book will interest lawyers, philosophers and doctors concerned both with genetic information and issues of privacy; it will also interest genetic counsellors, researchers, and policy makers worldwide for its practical stance on dilemmas in modern genetic medicine.

Contents:

Preface; Table of cases; Table of legislation; International instruments; Miscellaneous documents; Part I. Privacy: The General Part: 1. Health care, patient rights and privacy; 2. Privacy: anti-social concept or fundamental right? Part II. Genetic Knowledge: The Existing Models: 3. Human genetics and genetic privacy; 4. Autonomy, confidentiality and privacy; Part III. A New Privacy Paradigm: 5. Privacy and the public interest; 6. Privacy and property?; Index.