The Legal Status of Life Before Birth

Abstract

This paper discusses the changing legal status of various life forms before birth. The author begins by distinguishing between a living organism within a woman’s body (from conception to birth stored embryos and gametes) and living organisms outside her body (stored embryos and gametes), as well as distinguishing between a living foetus and a still-born foetus. The paper first explores the legal status of the living foetus, before discussing the legal status of stored embryos and gametes and concludes with the legal status of still-born children.