JURIST - Paper Chase: British agency gives license for therapeutic human cloning

Britain's Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA) Wednesday gave permission to a group of UK-based scientists to perform therapeutic cloning using human embryos. Therapeutic cloning became legal in the UK in 2002, but this is the first time that the HFEA has granted a license to perform the technique. According to the HFEA chair Suzi Leather, an initial one year research license has been granted after "careful consideration of all the scientific, ethical, legal and medical aspects of the project." Pro-life groups are considering whether to mount a legal challenge against the HFEA decision. BBC News has more. JURIST's Paper Chase has background on the scientists' request for a therapeutic cloning license. HFEA has this press release.