L. J. Goody Bioehtics Centre
An agency of the Catholic Archdiocese of Perth providing consultation, education and research in ethical aspects of contemporary health care practice and public health policy for the people of Western Australia. Our services include
  • confidential free personal consultancy
  • on-call clinical ethics service
  • education programs (tertiary level and adult modes)
  • specialised library in bioethics and Catholic moral theology
  • contact point for the Catholic Doctors Association of WA
  • contact point for the Catholic Health and Medical Fellowship in Perth (CHAMP)
News, local information and contacts can be found on the left side of this page, with basic resources and information on current ethical issues on the right side. Explore our site and let us know how we can improve it for your benefit, or contact us with your inquiry.

Our Logo: Perth, Western Australia, sits on the beautiful Swan River which is an important transport route and a lifeline for the city. The wave pattern on our logo evokes the Swan, whose currents and swells can make sailing difficult even as it supports a complex web of life.

Having to make an important medical, personal or other decision can cause us to feel excited and hopeful, or anxious and fearful. Beneath the currents and eddies of our moral life, ethics can provide practical frameworks of reason that help us cut through complex situations to determine which values and options we ought to choose and which we ought to avoid.

05 Apr 2012 : Donor-conceived children have the right to know, says Govt committee
In a long-awaited report the Victorian Law Reform Committee has determined that "the right of a donor-conceived person to have access to identifying information about his or her donor is paramount. The Committee therefore recommends that the Victorian Government introduce legislation to allow all donor-conceived people to obtain identifying information about their donors." The full report is available here , more.
04 Apr 2012 : Intergenerational sperm donation is a risk to child's well-being
How far should clinics go to facilitate a couple's desire to have a child? Those of us working in reproductive technology see new permutations of relationships almost every day, but perhaps Holland has (yet again) gone too far in allowing a father to donate sperm so that his son can have a child - which would make him the father of his own grandchild. Too bizarre? , more.
03 Apr 2012 : Canadian report on euthanasia 'biased', says expert
Although two-thirds of respondents opposed the introduction of euthanasia, a Quebec National Assembly committee has recommended that that province should allow doctors to kill patients on request. No wonder Australian-born ethicist Margaret Somerville has strong doubts about the committee's objectivity! , more.