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.

25 Nov 2011 : Why splitting motherhood is contrary to human rights
Two Austrian couples took their Government to court because Austria bans the use of donated eggs. A lower chamber of the European Court for Human Rights had ruled in their favour saying that the Austrian law violated Article 8 of Convention which guarantees the right of people to a private and family life, and Article 12 which guarantees the right to found a family. But the ECHR Grand Chamber has now overruled the lower chamber and has found that Austria, and other countries that are signatories to the convention have a right to ban the use of donor sperm, donor eggs or both and therefore Austria is not in breach of Article 8 and 12. , more.
24 Nov 2011 : Is it the end of the line for embryonic stem cells?
Has research on embryonic stem cells come to the end of the line? This is the question being asked by the British weekly magazine, New Scientist, one of the reference points for high-level scientific information and a constant supporter of research into stem cells obtained from human embryos, despite the ethical problems raised by various groups – foremost among them, the Catholic Church , more.
20 Oct 2011 : Are babies prizes or gifts?
A Canadian radio station offered three rounds of IVF treatment as a prize in a competition. What does this say about their perception of babies? In Margaret Somerville's view, "Making conception of a baby a competition prize overtly cuts across any idea that the transmission of human life requires deep respect . . . It involves a trivialization of the transmission of human life, of conceiving a child, and of becoming a parent." , more.
20 Oct 2011 : PSA screening called into question
The United States Prevention Task Force has recommended discontinuation of standard PSA blood tests, which screens for the possibility of prostate cancer. The wide use of the test has led thousands of men to undergo unnecessary and damaging treatment, the task force said. , more.