Hastings Cent Rep. 2017 Jan;47(1):inside front cover. doi: 10.1002/hast.662.
The role of law in bioethics is clear. Laws are enforcement tools: they govern which conditions qualify an individual for disability benefits, or what oversight is necessary for clinical trial protocols, or how patent applications for medical devices should be regulated. I initially studied the law in order to enhance my work in bioethics, but in examining how the law works, I have become convinced that the converse opportunity also exists: there are many areas of law that would benefit from greater input from those in the bioethics community.
法律在生命伦理学中的作用是明确的。法律是执法工具:它们规定了哪些条件可以使个人有资格获得残疾津贴,或者临床试验方案需要哪些监督,或者如何监管医疗器械的专利申请。我最初学习法律是为了加强我在生命伦理学方面的工作,但在研究法律的运作方式时,我深信反过来也存在机会:法律的许多领域都将受益于来自生命伦理学界的更多投入。