Federal Court of Justice judgment on genetic tests on embryos

Federal Court of Justice: Judgment on genetic testing of embryos.

(07.07.2010) The Leipzig Fifth Senate of the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) ruled on Tuesday that the so-called Preimplantation Diagnosis (PID) does not violate the Embryo Protection Act, since it does not infringe the Embryo Protection Act „abusive use of reproductive techniques“ comes. The judgment had made the self-report of a Berlin gynecologist in early 2006 necessary.

On the basis of this ruling of the Federal Court of Justice, physicians may now examine and, if necessary, discard fertilized egg cells from parents with a predisposition to massive gene abnormalities in the test tube to severe hereditary diseases. Selection based on gender, hair color or eye color remains excluded.

Thus, the BGH confirmed the judgment of the Berlin district court, which acquitted a 47-year-old Berlin gynecologist, who had himself reported in 2006. In the period from 2005 to 2006, he had died three times in the case of parents with genetic problems embryos that were also affected. His self-report should bring about the landmark judgment. The Catholic Church and Hubert Hüppe, the Commissioner for Disability, criticized the decision and described it as questionable as it opens a door to the selection and sorting out of human life. (Tf)