Seminar with Barbora Havlíková

Human genome editing from the perspective of European protection of fundamental human rights

Abstract

The possibility of editing and modifying the human genome is one example of how contemporary technological advancement affects not only individuals and current generations, but also has both positive and negative effects on the unborn child, future generations and humankind as a whole. The human genome is a key element of human identity. It is a fundamental link between generations and within families. At the international, European Union, and national levels, the duty to preserve future generations is acknowledged, and it has a role in any debate on environmental law. It is also a new emerging topic in the field of biomedicine. In biomedicine, the protection of future generations is not only a matter of satisfying their needs, but rather a question of their capacity for autonomy and self-governance. An intervention into the genetic constitution of unborn children (future generations) might affect their autonomy to make decisions about their own health and their own lives in future. As the result, the interest of unborn child, parents, present generations, future generations and humankind might get into conflict with each other. It raises essential questions: Does European human rights protect future generations, in particular their human dignity, which is related to the autonomy to make decisions about their own health and life? Is it possible to balance the human dignity of non-existing entity with the human dignity of a living individual? What connection exist between the human genome and protection of human dignity? Does human dignity protect the human genome as such? Can current generations be allowed to determine the genetic predispositions of their descendants? If so, will the parents be responsible for the genome of their offspring?

Registration 

Please register no later than the 8 May 2023 at 10:00 using this registration form

Bio

Barbora is Czech lawyer and a doctoral student at the Faculty of law at the Charles University.  Barbora holds Czech law degrees (Mgr. and JUDr.) form Charles University and Swedish LL.M. degree in Intellectual Property Law form Uppsala University. Barbora teaches at the Faculty of law at the Charles University and at the Faculty of electrical engineering at the Czech Technical University in Prague. In 2022 Barbora passed the Czech bar exam and works now as an advocate specialised in GDPR, copyright and trademark law. Barbora is interested in intersection of new technologies and human rights, but she does not avoid issues related to traditional legal fields (f.e. civil law). Barbora’s PhD project focuses on human genome editing from the perspective of European protection of fundamental rights. The PhD project follows up her diploma thesis on the legal status of human embryo.

Barbora is a visiting researcher at CeBIL and she would be pleased to share ideas and discuss related topics with anyone interested. She can be contacted at e-mail: barbora.havlikova@jur.ku.dk.