Biography Josephine Quintavalle
Josephine Quintavalle is founder of Comment on Reproductive Ethics (CORE), a public interest group focusing on ethical dilemmas surrounding human reproduction, particularly the new technologies of assisted conception. She was involved in the legal cases which challenged the HFEA’s right to license research using embryos created using cloning techniques and the HFEA’s ruling to allow tissue-typing for the Hashmi family in order for them to select an embryo which could provide umbilical cord blood to a sibling with the blood condition thalassaemia.
Speaking on the HFEA’s decision, Josephine Quintavalle said:
“We congratulate the HFEA wholeheartedly on its stance against social sex selection,’ said Josephine Quintavalle of CORE, following the presentation in the House of Commons at midday today. ‘According to the analysis of the responses from the public, 80% were against the legalisation of this practice. To hear Suzi Leather describe the public’s perception of a baby as a gift to be welcomed, rather than a designer commodity, was joy to our hearts.
‘But, before we get too excited about the good news, one word of caution regarding the actual clout of these recommendations. Will they stand up to any serious legal challenges, particularly in the light of the Appeal Court Judgment which ruled in favour of tissue-typing and the creation of embryos for reasons other than infertility?
‘Nor is it all good news. We must not forget that sex selection for eugenic reasons will continue as before, and this is very sad indeed. We have to find better ways of eliminating genetic diseases than eliminating those who carry them.”
‘And a final comment. It was intimated at today’s oral presentation that the HFEA Committee itself was seriously divided over this issue. Not so the public, as we have seen. They were thank goodness overwhelmingly against it. What does this say about the composition of the unelected HFEA? Is it truly representative of public opinion? Perhaps it is time to subject the HFEA to some serious reshuffling.’
Speaking on the HFEA’s decision, Josephine Quintavalle said:
“We congratulate the HFEA wholeheartedly on its stance against social sex selection,’ said Josephine Quintavalle of CORE, following the presentation in the House of Commons at midday today. ‘According to the analysis of the responses from the public, 80% were against the legalisation of this practice. To hear Suzi Leather describe the public’s perception of a baby as a gift to be welcomed, rather than a designer commodity, was joy to our hearts.
‘But, before we get too excited about the good news, one word of caution regarding the actual clout of these recommendations. Will they stand up to any serious legal challenges, particularly in the light of the Appeal Court Judgment which ruled in favour of tissue-typing and the creation of embryos for reasons other than infertility?
‘Nor is it all good news. We must not forget that sex selection for eugenic reasons will continue as before, and this is very sad indeed. We have to find better ways of eliminating genetic diseases than eliminating those who carry them.”
‘And a final comment. It was intimated at today’s oral presentation that the HFEA Committee itself was seriously divided over this issue. Not so the public, as we have seen. They were thank goodness overwhelmingly against it. What does this say about the composition of the unelected HFEA? Is it truly representative of public opinion? Perhaps it is time to subject the HFEA to some serious reshuffling.’
