基因技术利用行为的刑法规制

Act of Utilization of Gene Technology in Criminal Regulation

基因技术利用行为在给人类社会带来福祉的同时,也引发了一系列伦理和安全问题,需要刑法对之加以回应。现有刑法对基因技术利用行为规制的不足主要有两方面原因:一是我国的刑事立法具有滞后性,并在生物科技利用行为规制方面呈现被动性特点;二是现有罪名存在一定的局限性,虽然我国刑法已经设立了非法植入基因编辑、克隆胚胎罪和非法采集人类遗传资源、走私人类遗传资源材料罪等罪名,但尚不足以应对可能出现的新基因技术利用行为的规制需求。由于基因技术利用行为具有强烈的风险不确定性以及强伦理性,对这类行为的规制应当以风险预防原则为基础展开。在现有刑法框架下,对相关行为可以通过对现有罪名,如以危险方法危害公共安全罪、故意伤害罪等罪名的解释适用进行规制,但这样仅能起到事后惩罚作用,而无法实现风险的提前预防。所以最有效方式是通过立法途径对风险进行溯源预防,即在基因开发利用行为的研究阶段就采取较为严格的规制措施,必要时设立新的罪名。

The use of gene technology not only brings benefits to human society,but also raises a series of ethical and safety issues that require criminal law to respond to.There are two main reasons for the inadequacy of the existing criminal law in regulating the use of genetic technology:Firstly,China's criminal legislation lags behind and exhibits a passive characteristic in regulating the use of biotechnology;Secondly,there are certain limitations to the existing charges.Although China's criminal law has established crimes such as the crime of the illegal implantation of gene editing and cloning of embryos,and the crime of illegally collecting human genetic resources and smuggling human genetic resources materials,it is not yet sufficient to meet the regulatory requirements for the possible use of new gene technologies.Due to the strong risk uncertainty and strong ethical rationality associated with the use of gene technology,regulation of such behavior should be based on the principle of risk prevention.Under the existing criminal law framework,relevant behaviors can be regulated through the interpretation and application of existing charges,such as the crime of endangering public safety by dangerous means,the crime of intentional injury,etc.However,this can only serve as a punishment after the fact,and cannot achieve prevention of risks in advance.Therefore,the most effective way is to trace and prevent risks through legislative means,that is,to adopt stricter regulatory measures during the research stage of gene development and utilization behavior,and to establish new charges if necessary.