Regulating germ-line gene therapy to avoid sliding down the slippery slope

Many arguments can be made for or against various regulatory approaches towards germ-line gene therapy and its associated research. A popular conclusion is that it ought to be prohibited, and this is commonly defended by use of a slippery slope argument. This paper will begin by outlining the regulatory approaches adopted towards germ-line gene therapy in EU countries, demonstrating the popularity of the restrictive approach. The slippery slope argument will then be examined. A number of variants of the slippery slope argument will be distinguished, highlighting the conceptually different claims made by each. Finally, examples of slippery slope arguments often invoked to support the prohibition of germ-line gene therapy will be examined with regard to the conditions that each must satisfy to form a theoretically sound argument. I will argue that these conditions are rarely given sufficient consideration. For the purposes of this paper, "germ-line gene therapy" is defined as the deliberate genetic modification of germ cells (sperm or oocytes), their precursors, or the cells of early embryos where the germ-line has yet to be segregated.     

The slippery slope of health care finance: business interests and hospital reimbursement in Massachusetts

In 1988 Massachusetts enacted a bill, popularly known as Health Care for All, which promised that by 1992 every Massachusetts resident would have available affordable insurance for basic medical expenses. This legislation was one of a series of laws enacted over a period of six years which progressively improved access to care for the uninsured. The policy process which led to the enactment of these laws was strongly influenced by the interests of large employers. This article describes the series of access-expanding hospital reimbursement changes in Massachusetts in the 1980s and traces the connection between the involvement of business interests in the policy process and the outcomes that occurred; that is, it follows the slide of employers down the slippery slope of health care finance. The article also describes a potential implementation strategy for the Health Care for All legislation.     

Up the slippery slope: Groupwork with sex offenders with a learning disability

Abstract

Techniques developed for work with sex offenders are not always applicable to or appropriate for sex offenders with a learning disability due to the cognitive and social difficulties which such individuals may have. This paper describes an attempt to adapt and combine a number of psychological and art therapy techniques in group work with sex offenders with a learning disability. The aim was to identify areas relevant in sexual offending behaviour and to adapt treatment approaches for the above client group.     

Sedition: a slippery slope argument devised to protect the state’s magnates

The Indian law on sedition is a hangover from India’s colonial past. It was devised by Lord Thomas Babington Macaulay and was incorporated into the Indian Penal Code in 1870, used as a tool primarily to oppress. The objective of this article is to conduct a critical analysis of the meaning and use of laws against sedition. The research question is that, since scandalum magnatum apparently did not deal with how these words actually caused the problem division, what might be the underlying reasoning for anti-sedition laws. Argument tries to show that sedition is an attack by exposure on the state’s secret administrative processes. Sedition appears to have been based on a judicially applied slippery slope argument against exposing the secret machinations of the state’s magnates. There is a strong inference that the state’s magnates are deeply afraid of exposure, as their power rests only on the conventional administrative procedures of sinecures. Sedition is a crime designed to frighten those who might understand and then criticise either publicly or privately the state’s more feeble methods of governance.     

Politics and bioethical commissions: "muddling through" and the "slippery slope"

When they have addressed highly controversial subjects, the bioethical commissions of the last decade have tended to avoid explaining the ethical justifications for their recommendations. This omission is consistent with the typical preference of policymakers for "muddling through," because it is often possible to reach agreement on specific decisions even when disagreeing sharply on principles. In bioethical policy, this omission of reasons has some special consequences. It allows commission members to ignore "slippery slope" arguments, which are based on the claim that the logic of justification adopted to address the current problem will ultimately lead us to great harms. Case-by-case decision-making--along with the omission of reasons for decisions--will tend to highlight the benefits of innovation, and downplay possible long-term effects that might be ethically upsetting.     

凸齿钥匙上仿形刀痕迹倾斜角与齿坡角的关系初探

目的探索被增配凸形钥匙上仿形刀痕迹倾斜角度与齿坡角间的关系。方法用铝板制作相同坡长不同齿坡角的钥匙模型,在相同夹持方式下模拟增配过程,观察并总结钥匙上仿形刀痕迹倾斜角度的变化。结果不同齿坡角上仿形刀痕迹倾斜角度不同。结论凸齿钥匙上仿形刀增配痕迹倾斜角度随齿坡角的增大而减小。     

论胎儿利益的民事立法保护

胎儿利益的民事立法保护问题,一直以来都是学界争论的焦点和司法实践的难题,我国《民法通则》明确否认了胎儿的民事权利能力,使其作为民事主体的资格缺失。当胎儿遭受不法侵害时,按照现行法律的规定,其对加害人不享有损害赔偿请求权,这显然违背了民法公平公正的基本原则,不利于胎儿利益的保护。如果赋予胎儿损害赔偿请求权,则与我国《民法通则》相抵触。在这种情况下,立法者应当充分借鉴大陆法系、英美法系及我国台湾地区的研究成果和立法经验,广泛吸收学者先进的立法建议,采取附解除条件的总括保护主义立法模式,赋予胎儿民事权利能力,以强化对胎儿利益的民事立法保护。     

检察机关服务城乡一体化的路径实现

城乡一体化是使城乡在经济、社会、文化、生态等各方面协调发展的过程,系统庞杂、内涵丰富。检察机关服务城乡一体化既是法治的基本要求,也是检察机关法律监督职能的体现和“三项重点工作”的落脚点。当前,在城乡一体化进程中还存在着一些问题,因此,检察机关应在完善组织机构、履行检察职责、健全工作机制等方面不断探索,为城乡一体化的发展提供切实可靠的法律保障。