When Bacteria Make the Law: Ethical, Epistemic, Legal, Political, Social and Technical Perspectives on the Use of the Human Microbiome for Legal Purposes

  • Aliya Affdal Programmes de bioéthique, École de santé publique de l’Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
  • Frédéric Bouchard Département de philosophie, Faculté des arts et des sciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2020-4743
  • Charles Marsan Programmes de bioéthique, École de santé publique de l’Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
  • Ely Mermans Département de philosophie, Faculté des arts et des sciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
  • Vincent Mousseau École de criminologie, Faculté des arts et des sciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6750-1139
  • Vardit Ravitsky Programmes de bioéthique, École de santé publique de l’Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
  • Christine Rothmayr Allison Département de science politique, Faculté des arts et des sciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2471-1531
  • Simon St-Georges Département de science politique, Faculté des arts et des sciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1189-8007
  • Pierre Trudel Faculté de droit, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
  • Francois-Joseph Lapointe Département de sciences biologiques, Faculté des arts et des sciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7202/1101139ar
Keywords: microbiome, research, multidisciplinary expertise, forensics
Language(s): French, English

Abstract

The use of the human microbiome as a subject of study for forensic purposes raises a number of issues, ranging from a challenge to our traditional concept of identity to respect for privacy and the type of consent to be obtained when a microbiome sample is taken. The particular nature of this study requires the joint work of a multidisciplinary team made up of specialists in ethics, forensic science, law, microbiology, philosophy and political science.

(c) Han Han Li
Published
2023-06-27
How to Cite
[1]
Affdal A, Bouchard F, Marsan C, Mermans E, Mousseau V, Ravitsky V, Rothmayr Allison C, St-Georges S, Trudel P, Lapointe F-J. When Bacteria Make the Law: Ethical, Epistemic, Legal, Political, Social and Technical Perspectives on the Use of the Human Microbiome for Legal Purposes. Can. J. Bioeth. 2023;6:152-4. https://doi.org/10.7202/1101139ar.
Issue
Vol. 6 No. 2 (2023): Open Issue
Section
Letter to the Editor

Copyright (c) 2023 Aliya Affdal, Frédéric Bouchard, Charles Marsan, Ely Mermans, Vincent Mousseau, Vardit Ravitsky, Christine Rothmayr Allison, Simon St-Georges, Pierre Trudel, Francois-Joseph Lapointe

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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