Retained organs: ethics and humanity

Abstract

This paper responds to John Harris's vigorous analysis of the ethical principles involved in organ retention. The author contends that Harris overlooks the context in which revelations about organ retention came about in the UK. He pays insufficient regard to deeply held cultural and religious beliefs, and does not fully address the claims of the living to determine the fate of their body after death, or the interests of bereaved families in laying a beloved relative to rest. The paper argues that the fundamental principle governing removal and retention of body parts after death must rest on a strong presumption that such body parts should be removed only with the suficient consent of the deceased or his family.