Email sonish@ukzn.ac.za
Campus: Pietermaritzburg
Building & Room: Law Building – Room 7, 1st Floor
Biography
Dr. Sheetal Soni is the Deputy Academic Leader for Teaching and Learning in Pietermaritzburg, and a lecturer in the field of Bioethics, International Law and Intellectual Property Law.
She holds LLB, LLM and PhD degrees and is an admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. Her research interests are reproductive technology and preimplantation testing of early embryos. She has done consultancy work for the HIV/AIDS Vaccines Ethics Group (HAVEG), the AIDS and Rights Alliance of South Africa (ARASA), and the National Department of Health. She is also a collaborator on projects with Next BioSciences, the UKZN African Health Flagship and on the South African site of the Sustainable & Healthy Food Systems (SHEFS) project.
She is currently assisting with the drafting of Clinical Guidelines for the provision of Genetic Services, and serves on an expert panel of the Academy of Sciences of South Africa, which is undertaking a study of the ethical, legal and social implications of gene therapy. She is an active member of the Association for Responsible Research in Genome Editing (ARRIGE); the South African Society of Human Genetics; and the Human Cell Atlas. She is also the South African Ambassador to the Association of Ethics and Integrity (Association Ethique & Intégrité), and has been interviewed by the media on legal and ethical issues related to her research.
Academic Qualifications
- LLB (UNP)
- LLM (UKZN)
- PHD (UKZN)
Professional Qualifications
- Admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa
Membership of Professional and Other Organisations
- Member – National Department of Health Panel drafting Clinical Guidelines for the provision of Genetic Services
- Member – Ethical, Legal and Social Implications of Gene Therapy expert panel of the Academy of Sciences of South Africa (ASSAf)
- Member – Association for Responsible Research in Genome Editing (ARRIGE)
- Member – International Association of Bioethics (IBA)
- Member – South African Society of Human Genetics (SASHG)
- Member – The Human Cell Atlas (HCA)
- South African Ambassador – Association of Ethics and Integrity (Association Ethique & Intégrité)
Research Interests
- Reproductive Technology and Gene Editing
- Bioethics and Medical Law
- Intellectual Property
Publications
Accredited Publications
- Carnelley C. & Soni, S. A Tale of Two Mummies. Providing a womb in South Africa: Surrogacy and the legal rights of parents within the Children’s Act 38 of 2005. A brief comparative study with the United Kingdom. Speculum Juris, Issue 2008(2)
- Soni, S. Regulating Human Cloning – A Commonwealth Comparison. Speculum Juris, Issue 2010(2)
- Strode, A & Soni, S. Pre-implantation diagnosis to create ‘saviour siblings’: A critical discussion of the current and future legal frameworks in South Africa. South African Medical Journal Volume 1 (2012)
- Thaldar, T, Kinderlerer, J & Soni, S. An optimistic vision for biosciences in South Africa: A response to the ASSAf report on human genetics and genomics South African Journal of Science July/August (2019)
- Strode, A; Bhamjee, S; Soni, S & Badul C. Proposed legislation on enduring powers of attorney for health care decisions and living wills: A legal lifeboat in a sea of uncertainty? South African Journal of Bioethics and Law 22(2) 84-86 (2019)
- Soni, S. Prêt-à-Porter Procreation: Contemplating the Ban on Preimplantation Sex Selection. The Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal, Volume 22 1 – 36 (2019)
- Soni, S. Cautious progress towards clinical application of human gene editing. The CRISPR Journal. February (2020)
- Soni, S. CRISPR and the Law: A South African Perspective. The CRISPR Journal. April (2020)
- Soni, S. The Brave New World: should we tread down the path to human germline editing? South African Journal of Bioethics and Law 22(2) 84-86 (2020) – accepted for publication
Other Publications
- Soni S. Am I my sister’s keeper? The new assisted reproductive technologies and the law. The Natal Witness. February 2010
- Soni, S. Q & A: Can I select my baby’s gender? Your Pregnancy August/September (2018)
- Soni, S. NIPT – What does the law say? Next Biosciences News (2019)
- Soni, S. Yes, edit our genes – but do it cautiously. The Mail & Guardian November (2019)
- Soni. S. Ethics of gene editing must be decided by each one of us. The Mail & Guardian January (2020)
- Soni, S. Human gene editing: who decides the rules? The Conversation January (2020)
- Soni, S. COVID-19 and gene editing: ethical and legal considerations. The Conversation May (2020)
- Soni, S. The Legal Framework for Preimplantation Genetic Testing in South Africa. Next Biosciences News May (2020)
- Soni, S. Establishing Safety and Efficacy in the Context of Biomedical Research. The Conversation – forthcoming publication September (2020)