CHAPTER 5: SPECIFIC ROLE OF LAWYERS AND THE LEGAL PERSPECTIVE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTEGRATIVE BIOETHICS IN CROATIA 1

Abstract

Athough, first forms of legal provisions concerning medical research in Croatia (ex Yugoslavia) came into force during 1970s (regulating work of „commissions for drugs“), more vivid presence and impact of law within bioethics can be traced in the 1990s. Beside the new Law on Health Protection (1997) – articles 51 and 52 requiring the establishment of ethics committees and regulating the framework of their duties, the introduction and the success of the law occured as a consequence of political changes and international opening, influencing education, research, health and social policies. Later progression of the legal discipline within bioethics can be noticed not only with respect to the work of prominent legal experts, but also the main tide of Croatian bioethics, particularly the Integrative Bioethics of Ante Čović.
The aim of this paper is to detect the main representatives of legal perspective and discipline within modern bioethical trends in Croatia, as well as to clarify some of the many intriguing mutal influences.