8. Organ Donation and the Ownership of Body Parts
This chapter examines legal and ethical aspects of organ donation and body part ownership. Topics discussed include the Human Tissue Act 2004; liability for mishaps from organ transplant; the shortage of organs for transplant; xenotransplantation; selling organs; face transplants; and the living body as property. Running through this chapter is a discussion of whether it is preferable to see the body and parts of the body as property or whether they need their own system of legal protection through a statute. This debate ties into broader discussions about the nature of the self and what makes bodies valuable.