Contents

Part 1--Preliminary                                                                                                                1

1............ Short title [see Note 1]....................................................................... 1

2............ Commencement.................................................................................. 1

3............ Object of Act...................................................................................... 2

4............ Operation of Act................................................................................ 2

5............ Act to bind the Crown........................................................................ 2

6............ External Territories............................................................................. 3

7............ Definitions.......................................................................................... 3

Part 2--Regulation of the use of excess ART embryos, other embryos and human eggs                 6

Division 1--Interpretation                                                                                          6

8............ Definitions [see Note 2]..................................................................... 6

9............ Meaning of excess ART embryo.......................................................... 7

Division 2--Offences                                                                                                     9

10.......... Offence--use of excess ART embryo................................................ 9

10A....... Offence--use of other embryos....................................................... 10

10B....... Offence--certain activities involving use of human eggs.................. 10

11.......... Offence--use of embryo that is not an excess ART embryo........... 11

12.......... Offence--breaching a licence condition............................................ 11

12A....... Person not liable for conduct purportedly authorised...................... 11

Division 3--Embryo Research Licensing Committee of the NHMRC 13

13.......... Establishment of Committee............................................................ 13

14.......... Functions of Committee................................................................... 13

15.......... Powers of Committee....................................................................... 14

16.......... Membership of Committee.............................................................. 14

17.......... Terms of appointment...................................................................... 15

18.......... Annual report................................................................................... 15

19.......... Reports to Parliament....................................................................... 16

Division 4--Licensing system                                                                                17

20.......... Person may apply for licence........................................................... 17

21.......... Determination of application by Committee [see Note 1]............... 18

22.......... Notification of decision.................................................................... 19

23.......... Period of licence................................................................................ 19

24.......... Licence is subject to conditions [see Note 1]................................... 19

25.......... Variation of licence........................................................................... 21

26.......... Suspension or revocation of licence.................................................. 21

27.......... Surrender of licence........................................................................... 22

28.......... Notification of variation, suspension or revocation of licence......... 22

Division 5--Reporting and confidentiality                                                        23

29.......... NHMRC Licensing Committee to make certain information publicly available     23

30.......... Confidential commercial information may only be disclosed in certain circumstances           23

Division 6--Review provisions                                                                              26

31.......... Meaning of terms.............................................................................. 26

32.......... Review of decisions.......................................................................... 26

Part 3--Monitoring powers                                                                                              28

33.......... Appointment of inspectors.............................................................. 28

34.......... Identity card..................................................................................... 28

35.......... Powers available to inspectors for monitoring compliance.............. 29

36.......... Monitoring powers........................................................................... 29

37.......... Power to secure................................................................................ 30

37A....... Monitoring warrants......................................................................... 30

37B....... Details of warrant to be given to occupier etc.................................. 31

37C....... Announcement before entry............................................................. 31

37D....... Occupier entitled to be present during search.................................. 32

38.......... Inspector must produce identity card on request............................. 32

39.......... Consent............................................................................................. 32

40.......... Compensation for damage................................................................ 32

41.......... Extended operation of Part............................................................... 33

Part 4--Commonwealth/State arrangements                                                         34

42.......... Operation of State laws.................................................................... 34

43.......... Conferral of functions on Commonwealth officers and bodies........ 34

44.......... When duty imposed......................................................................... 35

45.......... Review of certain decisions.............................................................. 36

Part 5--Sunset clause, review provision and regulations                               37

Division 1--Repeal                                                                                                       37

46.......... Repeal of paragraphs 21(3)(b) and 24(1)(c) and subsection 24(3) [see Note 1]     37

Division 2--Review of Act                                                                                        38

47.......... Review of operation of Act.............................................................. 38

47A....... Further review of operation of Act.................................................. 39

47B....... Minister to report to Parliament...................................................... 40

47C....... Study of non‑blood human tissue based therapies........................... 41

Division 3--Regulations                                                                                            42

48.......... Regulations....................................................................................... 42

Notes                                                                                                                                             43

  

Notes to the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002

Note 1

The Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002 as shown in this compilation comprises Act No. 145, 2002 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

For repealed details of paragraphs 21(3)(b), 24(1)(c) and subsection 24(3), see section 46.

For all relevant information pertaining to application, saving or transitional provisions see Table A.

Table of Acts

Act	Number and year	Date of Assent	Date of commencement	Application, saving or transitional provisions
Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002	145, 2002	19 Dec 2002	Ss. 3-9 and 13-48: 16 Jan 2003 Ss. 10-12: 19 June 2003 Remainder: Royal Assent
National Health and Medical Research Council Amendment Act 2006	50, 2006	9 June 2006	Schedule 1: 1 July 2006 Remainder: Royal Assent	--
Prohibition of Human Cloning for Reproduction and the Regulation of Human Embryo Research Amendment Act 2006	172, 2006	12 Dec 2006	Schedules 1-4: 12 June 2007 Remainder: Royal Assent	Sch. 3 (Item 1)
Same‑Sex Relationships (Equal Treatment in Commonwealth Laws--General Law Reform) Act 2008	144, 2008	9 Dec 2008	Schedule 9 (item 2): 10 Dec 2008	--

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted      am. = amended      rep. = repealed      rs. = repealed and substituted
Provision affected	How affected
Part 1
S. 3......................................	am. No. 172, 2006
S. 7......................................	am. No. 172, 2006; No. 144, 2008
Part 2
Heading to Part 2.................	rs. No. 172, 2006
Division 1
S. 8......................................	am. Nos. 50 and 172, 2006
Division 2
Ss. 10A, 10B.......................	ad. No. 172, 2006
S. 11....................................	am. No. 172, 2006
S. 12A.................................	ad. No. 172, 2006
Division 3
S. 13....................................	am. No. 50, 2006
S. 16....................................	am. No. 172, 2006
S. 18....................................	am. No. 50, 2006
Division 4
S. 20....................................	am. No. 172, 2006
S. 21....................................	am. Nos. 50 and 172, 2006
S. 24....................................	am. No. 172, 2006
Division 5
S. 29....................................	am. No. 172, 2006
Division 6
Ss. 31, 32............................	am. No. 172, 2006
Part 3
Ss. 35-37............................	am. No. 172, 2006
Ss. 37A-37D.......................	ad. No. 172, 2006
Part 5
Division 2
S. 47....................................	am. No. 50, 2006
Ss. 47A-47C.......................	ad. No. 172, 2006

Note 2

The amendment made by Schedule 2 (item 9) of the Prohibition of Human Cloning for Reproduction and the Regulation of Human Embryo Research Amendment Act 2006 (No. 172, 2006) was misdescribed. However, the intention of the amendment was clear and it has been incorporated in this compilation.

Table A

Application, saving or transitional provisions

Prohibition of Human Cloning for Reproduction and the Regulation of Human Embryo Research Amendment Act 2006 (No. 172, 2006)

Schedule 3

1  Saving provision

(1)        If:

                     (a)  at any time before the commencement of this item, a person made an application under subsection 20(1) of the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002 for a licence; and

                     (b)  immediately before the commencement of this item, the NHMRC Licensing Committee had not decided the application;

then the person is taken, on and from the commencement of this item, to have applied for the licence under subsection 20(1) of the amended Act.

(2)        To avoid doubt, a licence issued under section 21 of the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002 that was in force immediately before the commencement of this item continues in force after that commencement.

(3)        In this item:

amended Act means the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002 as amended by this Act.