LAUSR

The Human Tissue Act 2004, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland set out a legal framework for regulating the storage and use of human tissue with the aim of restoring public confidence in medical research after the media fuelled storm of the 1990s relating to the use of human tissue for research. It consolidated previous legislation and created the Human Tissue Authority to regulate these activities. It was fully implemented on 1 September 2006. There are two main requirements of the Act: consent and licensing. This article will summarise this legislation with the aim of helping junior researchers understand the regulations and, in particular, which samples require consent and licensing.