The Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technologies, often referred to as the "Baird Commission", was created by the

Canadian federal government The Government of Canada (), formally His Majesty's Government (), is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. The term ''Government of Canada'' refers specifically to the executive, which includes ministers of the Crown ...

under

Brian Mulroney Martin Brian Mulroney (March 20, 1939 – February 29, 2024) was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the 18th prime minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993. Born in the eastern Quebec city of Baie-Comeau, Mulroney studi ...

in 1989 to study the ethical, social, research, and legal implications of new reproductive technologies in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. The Canadian government, along with many other citizens, had grown increasingly concerned about the impact of

in vitro fertilization In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a process of fertilisation in which an egg is combined with sperm in vitro ("in glass"). The process involves monitoring and stimulating the ovulatory process, then removing an ovum or ova (egg or eggs) from ...

and other rapidly progressing technologies. The commission was chaired by

Patricia Baird Patricia Ann Baird, (born 11 October 1937) is a British medical geneticist active in Canada. Her research has specialized on the relationship between medical technology and ethics. Early life and education Patricia Baird was born in Littleb ...

. It published its final report in 1993, which was presented to the Canadian Governor General. The report later served the basis for the federal statute, the Assisted Human Reproduction Act.

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