The Approval of Research on Organs No Longer Required for Procurator Fiscal Purposes (Specified Persons) (Scotland) Order 2006
Current practice a s regards approval to carry out research on any organ removed from a deceased person is that the Research Ethics Committees (“RECs”) provide independent advice and approval on the extent to which proposals for any research studies comply with recognised ethical standards. Specifying RECs in the Order as being the person (or persons), or group (or groups) of persons who is to approve research carried out on organs removed either before or after the coming into force of the Human Tissue (Scotland) Act 2006 (“the Act) (1st September 2006, by virtue of S.S.I. 2006/251) therefore captures both the current and the intended ongoingrole of the REC in considering all such cases in Scotland. Article 3 of the Order covers the position in relation to organs which were removed before the Act comes into force (both research which has already been approved as well as research which is still to be approved on such organs), whilst Article 2 provides for organs removed on or after the day on which the Act comes into force.