Seminar, three hours. Notions of bodily integrity, privacy, right to life, and to choose to die have created perception that our bodies are protected by law, that somehow we possess ownership and control over our bodies, encompassing not only our physical being but intangible information contained within our materialized forms. Question of whether these rights to our own bodies exist and are secured by common and Constitutional law, in light of recent developments in biotechnology. Introduction to political and legal discourse of rights. Historical perspective of how law and policy have treated our bodies. Legal and policy issues emerging from new biotechnological developments. Examination of reproductive issues, including abortion, assisted reproduction, disputes regarding disposition of embryos, preimplantation genetic testing, cloning, and genetic enhancements. Letter grading.
