A Critical Analysis of the Legal Regulation of Assisted Reproductive Techniques and Biomedical Research in the Slovak Republic in the Context of Natural Law

Abstract

The study critically analyses the Slovak legal regulation of assisted reproductive techniques and biomedical research through the prism of natural law attributes. The study confirms the hypothesis that the legal regulation of assisted reproductive techniques and biomedical research in the Slovak Republic is insufficient, does not reflect the actual practice, and allows interpretations and application that are not in line with natural law. The identified shortcomings do not correspond to the fact that the Slovak Republic is one of the countries with a restrictive biopolitics. The study demonstrates that even in the case of conservative legislation, the natural-law basis can be undermined or denied if the legislation does not sufficiently reflect all contexts. For comparison, we present selected legislation from the Czech Republic, which is more precise and consistent, although more liberal. The study also contains specific de lege ferenda proposals that are based on natural law foundations and at least partially remedy the identified shortcomings.