Death Gives Birth to the need for new Law: The case for law reform regarding medical end of life decisions

Title
Death Gives Birth to the need for new Law: The case for law reform regarding medical end of life decisions
Publication Date
1996
Author(s)
Eburn, Michael E
Type of document
Conference Publication
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
UNE publication id
une:10180
Abstract
Many people who oppose the legalisation of euthanasia and/or physician assisted suicide argue that to do so would increase the risk of abuse of people when they are most vulnerable. It is argued that no legislation can be written that would provide adequate safeguards to ensure that once allowed, the process of euthanasia would not be abused. In this paper, I will argue that those fears although valid, do not and cannot serve as the 'coup de grace' to calls for euthanasia. I propose to show that such safeguards are not present in law at the moment, yet we do not see or hear about a rash of cases where people are being pressured to make decisions that prematurely end their life, and there is no sound reason for believing that such issues would arise in the future, were euthanasia allowed. On the way, I shall also argue that if we are serious about the demands for safeguards to ensure that people, as they approach the end of their lives, are not subject to undue pressure, then those safeguards are required now, whether or not we ever accept the legalisation of euthanasia.
Link
Citation
Presented at the Christian Centre for Bioethics 10th Annual Bioethics Conference

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