The Right to Bodily Integrity

The right to bodily integrity has become a notable controversial issue within moral, political and legal discourse and this right is regarded as one of the most precious rights that persons have, alongside the right to life. Recent scholarly debate has focused attention on the content, scope and force of this right and has lead to the recognition that a better understanding of the nature of this right will contribute to determining whether and why a multitude of clinical and research activities in medical practice should be seen as permissible or impermissible. The essays selected for this volume examine topics such as pregnancy and reproduction, altering childrena€?s bodies, transplantation, controversial modifications and surgeries, and experimentation and dead bodies. This is the first collection of scholarly research articles to provide a comprehensive overview of the ethical and legal aspects of the right to bodily integrity and its implications in theory and practice.

A.M. Viens is a Lecturer in Law and Deputy Director of the Centre for Health Ethics and Law (HEAL), Southampton Law School, University of Southampton, UK. He is also an Associate Research Fellow, Institute for Medical Ethics & History of Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany.