Includes bibliographical references. / In this thesis I analyse the human rights dimensions of the South African law on four topical medical biotechnology subjects, namely human embryo research, the use of human gametes, autologous tem cell therapy, and private stem cell banking. In all four cases, my analyses give specific prominence to two research themes: first, human dignity as touchstone of the South African human rights regime, and secondly legal certainly. The analyses show that the legal rules governing three of the four selected medical biotechnology subjects are not aligned with the country's human rights regime.