The relationship between genetics/genomics and the legal and ethical landscape has been long and varied, and it is continually evolving. Depending on the moment in history and the specific area involved, this relationship has proven tragic (consider eugenics and the laws it inspired), beneficial (consider the many criminal cases solved through forensic DNA) and promising (consider attempts to regulate emerging gene editing techniques) – but it has never been easy. The idea to dedicate a Special issue of BioLaw Journal to the origins, state of the art and future of this interrelation emerged during an international symposium organised by the Italian Chapter of the International Society of Public Law (ICON-S) in Florence in 2019, addressing the topic of New Technologies and the Future of Public Law. A stimulating discussion on the new challenges of genome editing convinced us that trying to bridge between past and present was important in order to better imagine the future.
