Brüstle v Greenpeace: Has the European Court seriously damaged stem cell research?

Institute of Brand and Innovation Law (IBIL) at UCL’s Law Faculty with the UCL Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine

Dr Justin Turner QC, 3 New Square Chambers 
Professor Pete Coffey, UCL Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine
Professor Jo Wolff, UCL Department of Philosophy
Chaired by The Rt Hon Professor Sir Robin Jacob
Accredited with 1.5 CPD hour by the SRA and BSB

About this event

On Tuesday 18th October 2011, the Court of Justice of the European Union published it’s decision regarding the case of Brüstle v Greenpeace, declaring that a process which involves removal of a stem cell from a human embryo at the blastocyst stage, entailing the destruction of that embryo, cannot be patented. There is a widespread view that its effect has been to provide a significant bar to patentability in this area. In this event the true legal limits of the decision will be explored and its practical and ethical implications will be examined.