Public and expert voices in the legal regulation of technology

This chapter examines three technological areas that have been subjected to legal regulation: human fertilisation and embryology; the manufacture and distribution of chemicals; and, the disposal of hazardous waste. Whilst these activities - and the regimes which regulate them - are quite different, they do share two common features: the activities themselves are necessary and/or socially beneficial, and they have the potential to cause considerable harm if left unregulated. Drawing on these three examples, the chapter discusses one challenge faced by efforts to regulate new technologies: the frequent tension between public and expert opinion. The chapter argues that in each of the examples, expert opinion from within the regulated industry has been prioritised