Medico-Legal Aspects of Reproduction and Parenthood

Part 1 Sex and marriage: marriage - valid marriage, void marriage, voidable marriage, mental disorder and marriage; sex; transsexual "marriage". Part 2 Sexual intercourse: sexual intercourse and the criminal law - intramarital "rape", indecent assault within marriage, the definition of sexual intercourse in the criminal law; consummation of marriage; adultery; non-consummation of marriage. Part 3 Contraception: medical aspects of contraception; contraception and the mentally handicapped; contraception for minors - the "Gillick" case; interceptive method - displanting methods; summary. Part 4 Sterilization: non-consensual sterilization - involuntary sterilization, eugenic sterilization, punitive sterilization; non-voluntary sterilization - sterilization of the mentally impaired, the Canadian approach, the Australian experience, the English decisions, other British cases; the right to procreate; consensual non-therapeutic sterilization; the doctrine of "informed consent"; failed sterilization or wrongful pregnancy. Part 5 Abortion: the law in the United Kingdom; the Abortion Act 1967; the comparative scene - Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Germany, the American approach, other jurisdictions; the conflicts of interests - the rights of the pregnant woman; abortion in practice; other people's rights - the father, the professionals; abortion and minors; abortion and the mentally handicapped; reduction of multiple pregnancy and selective reduction; "preventive" abortion; revision of the law. Part 6 Protection of the fetus: the legal right of the fetus - can we say the fetus is a person?; wrongful death of the fetus - fetal rights to treatment, interventional treatment of the fetus; fetal rights and abortion - the "wrongful life" action, the preconception tort; the living abortus - fetal advantage?, comatose or post-mortem gestation; fetal neglect; fetal disposal. Part 7 Fetal experimentation: the moral framework; consent and fetal research and experimentation - legal constraints, civil liability, maternal consent to fetal research, the use of uterine contents other than the fetus; the fetus or the neonate as an organ transplant donor - the donation of fetal cellular material, fetal ovaries and ova; research ethics committees. Part 8 The infertile husband: infertility in general; childlessness due to non-consummation and related reasons - artificial insemination by husband or partner; posthumous AIH; other reasons for AIH; the infertile husband - artificial insemination by donor (AID) - the role of the medical adviser, the donor, the prospective parents, the child conceived by AID, evading the issue - AIHD. Part 9 The infertile women: causes of female infertility; the problem of tubal insufficiency - in vitro fertilization; medico-legal complications of IVF; the aftermath of the Warnock Committee; other treatments of childlessness - ovum donation. (Part contents)