Australian Senate lifts therapeutic cloning ban News
Australian Senate lifts therapeutic cloning ban

[JURIST] The Australian Senate [official website] voted Tuesday to lift restrictions on stem cell research and permit the therapeutic cloning of human embryos. By a 34-32 vote, lawmakers approved the Prohibition of Human Cloning for Reproduction and the Regulation of Human Embryo Research Amendment Bill 2006 [legislative materials], which also includes stricter penalties of up to 15 years in prison for anyone convicted of attempting to buy human egg, sperm or embryo faces.

Australia's parliament voted in 2002 to allow researchers to extract stem cells from extra embryos originally intended for use in in vitro fertilization, but did not permit the use of those cells in cloning. The Australian House of Representatives [official website] will consider the latest legislation later this month. AP has more. The Sydney Morning Herald has local coverage.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Narcotic Control Act became law

On July 18, 1956, the Narcotic Control Act of 1956 became law. The act increased still further the penalties for violation of the existing laws and proliferating the scope of federal control over the use, possession and sale of narcotic drugs and marijuana. Learn more about the Narcotic Control Act of 1956.

Nelson Mandela born

On July 18, 1906, Nelson Mandela was born in Mvezo, South Africa. Mandela became a symbol of the anti-Apartheid movement, spending 27 years in prison for his efforts to topple the country's segregation system. In 1990, Mandela was released from prison and Apartheid was soon dismantled. Mandela was elected the first black President of South Africa during the country's first multi-racial elections in 1994. Learn more about Nelson Mandela from the Nelson Mandela Foundation.