Prohibition of genetic discrimination in public international law
Abstract
Genetic discrimination means treating someone differently because of their genetic traits, which make it possible to determine what health predispositions a person has. Examples include a genetic predisposition to Huntington’s disease or the risk of developing colorectal cancer. From a legal perspective, an important issue arises: can knowledge of genetic data be used in a way that is discriminatory towards the individual? For example, the problem may be that the insurer refuses to enter into a life insurance contract with us or increases our premium.
The first research method is the dogmatic analysis, which includes two elements: the quantitative and qualitative method of making an inventory of international law and the legal-dogmatic method, i.e. the critical analysis of literature and case law. The second research method is a comparative legal analysis, which aims to compare regulations found in the universal and regional human rights systems.
The aim of this article is to examine the extent to which the prohibition of genetic discrimination is regulated in public international law. Why should genetic discrimination be singled out against general anti-discrimination standards? Many legal acts (e.g. the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) contain general anti- -discrimination standards. However, examples of genetic discrimination indicate that current regulations may not be sufficient. This article also attempts to answer the question of what genetic discrimination is.
Keywords:
genetic discrimination, genetic data, human rightsReferences
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