X-Message-Number: 1667
From: Graham Wilson <>
Subject: CRYONICS
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 93 13:25:15 WET

I am now approximately 1/2 to 3/4 of the way through my cryonics legal
research project.

As part of the thesis I have proposed legislation, called the Cryonics
Suspension Act (1993). The act provides for the creation of a Cryonics
Regulatory Authority (CRA) responsible for registering and overseeing
the operation of cryonics organisations. The CRA would also be 
responsible for protecting the rights of patients. The act will 
specifically make cryonics legal and provides criminal and civil 
remedies on the patient's behalf. When the act is completed I expect
it to be some 20 - 40 pages in length. I know this is long, but it
needs to be comprehensive.

I will post the act when I finished drafting the contents.

However, in the meantime, I still have one question which creates 
difficulties. Although the Cryonics Regulatory Authority (CRA) would 
be responsible for overseeing the industry and providing general
protection for the patient, who should be responsible for acting as 
the patient's guardian ? In other words who would be responsible
for adminstering the patient's finances ?

In the poacher/gamekeeper relationship which exists between the Cryonics
Company and the CRA, I would contend that it would be wrong for 
either of them to have control over the patient's finances.

Most people would be reluctant to allow a quasai-governmental body
such as the CRA to have control over their money. Similarly, it would
seem unethical to provide the cryonics company with a free hand to 
spend the patient's money at will.

I realise that the current cryonics companies provide value for money
and operate safeguards. However, there is no guarantee that this would
continue in the future.

In this poacher/gamekeep relationship (cryonics company / Cryonics 
Regulatory Authority) we need a 3rd organisation responsible for 
controlling and allocating the patient's money.

What type of organisation should be responsible for this and how should it
operate ? Any suggestions ?

-- 
         *********************************************************
         *      Graham Wilson      *    *
         *     LL.B.  Law  III     *     Coventry  University    *
         *********************************************************

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