A Legal Study of Human Cloning: With Special Reference to Imam Khomeini's Viewpoints

Cloning refers to reproduction of human beings through non-sexual methods. It is of two kinds: curative and reproductive. In reproductive cloning, whose result is reproduction of a human being, the cloned human being will enjoy all rights like other members of society such as identity, lineage and inheritance. On the other hand, the members of society have certain responsibilities towards such a person. Among the rights of a cloned person as a member of society is lineage. There are however differences of opinion about the parents of the cloned person. What is for certain is that a cloned person is entitled to have a father. There is no legal problem regarding the identity of such a person; the donor of semen is the legal and natural custodian of the cloned baby and shoulders the duties envisaged in the civil law for a custodian. Similar laws regarding inheritance, retaliation, blood money and other rights applying to all people in the society applies to the cloned person. Regarding the duties of society towards a cloned person, it should be mentioned that the duty of the society towards a cloned person is just like its responsibility towards people born out of normal marriages. The society should grant the rights of such persons and must not deal with them as a commercial commodity. Hence human values must be taken into consideration in dealing with such a person.