INTRABRANCH PRINCIPLES OF GENETIC INFORMATION PROCESSING

The principles of emerging legislation devoted to the processing of genetic information take their place among the informal legal phenomena. The identification of these principles is the task of the legal science and, in particular, of data protection law. From the point of view of data protection law, the article presents a new author’s approach to the construction of the system of principles of the legal regulation of genetic information. These principles include: the principle of responsibility to future generations; the principle of freedom of scientific research; the principle of protection of human dignity; the principle of privacy. Genome protection is aimed not only at preserving the life and health of a particular person, but also at preserving the genome of his or her descendants. This makes it possible to consider the genome as a heritage of mankind. Freedom of scientific research in the field of genetics implies the freedom to study genetic information, but not the freedom to use it. With regard to scientific research of genetic information of representatives of a particular population, in addition to individual consent to the processing of such information, allowance is made for the consent expressed through the legitimate representatives of the groups or peoples concerned. The ideas of extended and open consent of the person to the processing of genetic information are analyzed. The conclusion is made about the necessity of fixing the system of principles of legal regulation in the field of genetic information processing in a special law «On genetic information.»