Importance of the Issue of Capacity for Rights of Embryo in the National Legal System

The legal status of the embryo is an unresolved and sensitive issue. Based on comparative research, we conclude that there is no unified approach. Till today, there is no unanimously recognized legal definition of a conceptus, embryo, or fetus. Medical progress and the development of biotechnologies have put the embryo in an unfavorable legal situation, and therefore, it has become necessary to determine its status. In this context, it becomes understandable why legislators are reluctant to directly define the status. Georgia is not an exception: we observe many ambiguities and uncertainties concerning an embryo in the national legislation. Several issues are unsettled and require additional intervention. Therefore, the main aim of the paper is to show the insufficiency of the national legislation and to develop certain recommendations through the analysis of international practice.

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