LIVING ORGAN DONORS

In New Zealand people over the age of 18 can legally give consent to be living organ donors. This usually relates to the donation of kidneys to family members.

The World Health Organisation claims that adolescents (10-19 year olds) do not have fully developed brains until they are in their mid-20's. A recent article in the American Journal of Transplantation suggests that donations by teenagers may be problematic given that their brain development may mean they do not posses the capacity to judge the benefits and risks of such an act, plus they may be financially or emotionally tied to the family member needing the organ, thus bringing their freedom and ability to choose into question.

If decisions should be made by autonomous individuals, do the factors surrounding teenagers as living donors reflect the need for new legislation to protect this group of people OR should their decision be respected and the law allowed to remain as is?