Public urged to keep talking about Human Embryos

MEDIA RELEASE

26 September 2006

Public urged to keep talking about Human Embryos for Research

The public is urged to keep talking about the implications of using human embryos for research, after a public seminar in Wellington raised a wide range of opinions on the matter.

A panel of speakers, chaired by former broadcaster Linda Clark, discussed how and why human embryos might be used for research, and the legal, medical and ethical questions that this might raise.

The audience was urged to become engaged in the discussion, “in a real way,” and a request was made that the public be given the opportunity to raise their own questions on the cultural, ethical and spiritual aspects of the matter.

It is the first time this issue has been raised in a public forum such as this in New Zealand, and the near capacity crowd listened intently to all speakers, and raised some pertinent questions afterwards.

A list of speakers and a summary of their comments is being prepared by the Council and will be made available through their website.

Toi te Taiao – the Bioethics Council will continue to run an online discussion on the subject at their website (www.bioethics.org.nz) until 7 October, and copies of the discussion document are still available.

ENDS

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