Australia lifted the ban on cloning

The Australian Parliament has just lifted a ban on cloning human embryos for the purpose of stem cell research. The lifting of the ban has met with opposition from the Australian Prime Minister and leaders of opposition parties.

The ban was lifted after winning 82 votes in the House of Representatives, compared with 62 against. Earlier, on November 7, the Senate also approved the lifting of the ban with a narrow vote: 34 votes against 32 votes against.

In 2002, the Australian Parliament passed the first set of laws on stem cell research. Then scientists used excess human embryos (in the process of artificial insemination) to use in stem cell research but absolutely not cloned cells.

Dolly, the first cloned sheep, died at the age of six.(Photo: AP)

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