Human Tissue Authority

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The Human Tissue Authority is a UK Non-Departmental Public Body created by the Human Tissue Act 2004.

It came into being on April 1, 2005 and its statutory functions began on April 1, 2006. As of 2006, the authority is chaired by Baroness Hayman.

Its objectives are to:

...be the regulating authority for matters relating to activities such as anatomical and post-mortem examinations, transplantations and the storage of human material for education, training and research.

It also acts as the UK competent authority under the EU Tissue and Cells Directive.

[edit] Code of Conduct, and Jurisdiction

According to the Human Tissue Act, the HTA and its authority are governed by a code of conduct[1] for the handling of human tissue, and the bodies of the deceased, but does not give the HTA authority over exhumed remains from archaeological sites.

"The Human Tissue Act (HT Act) 2004 established the Human Tissue Authority (HTA) as the regulatory body in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for all matters concerning the removal, retention, use and disposal of human tissue (excluding gametes and embryos) for specified purposes. This includes responsibility for licensing the public display of whole bodies, body parts and human tissue from the deceased (if they died after 1 September 1906)." [2]