Bioethics and Law in Action-Mining the Gaps: The Human Genome Research Project

Abstract

A gap exists between stating ethical principles and choosing which one to apply in a particular situation. Even when the choice of ethical principle is made, there is a gap between the expression of the principle and its interpretation when it is applied. At the point of application there is also a gap between the interpretation of the facts and the application of the principle. This chapter focuses on these gaps in the context of making law for new developments that are now available because of advances in genetic science.