The European Court of Human Rights ruled today against a woman who sought to use her frozen embryos because her ex-fiance does not consent to their use. She had had some eggs removed prior to cancer treatment that she knew would render her infertile. Her now-estranged former fiance will not consent to implantation of the embryos. Under UK law, both the egg donor and the sperm donor must consent before implantation may take place. She argued that the right to family life, protected under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, should override that UK law, and that destruction of the eggs, which under UK law will take place this October, would violate her human rights. The Court ruled against her in a 5-2 decision, with the only woman on the panel being in dissent. Here is the BBC story on the case, which contains links to much additional useful information. And the text of the European Court of Human Rights judgment is here.
–Stephanie Farrior
