Ethics chief for British doctors favours assisted suicide
The chairman of the ethics committee of the British Medical Association says that he supports the right to assisted suicide. Dr Michael Wilkes says that “if competent people can now make legally binding decisions to refuse life-saving treatment… to then go a little bit further where people could make competent decisions to determine the time and the way they die, how big a step is that? Legally it is huge. It goes from perfectly legal to [a] life sentence. But morally and ethically, is it that much of a difference? If it is not, why is there such a difference between the two?”
A proposal to legalise assisted suicide will be debated next week at the BMA’s annual conference. Although support for the change is said to be growing, especially amongst younger doctors, many are still opposed. Dr Ian Bailey, a chemical pathologist, says that terminally ill patients should be offered better palliative care rather than the option of assisted suicide
- Prescribe morning-after pills to young teenagers, say US pediatric group - November 30, 2012
- Bahrain sentences protest docs to prison - November 28, 2012
- Terry Pratchett assisted suicide documentary wins International Emmy - November 27, 2012
More Stories
What is that bright light at the end of the tunnel?
Reports of near-death experiences -- with tales of white light, visits from departed loved ones, hearing voices, seeing Heaven --...
Why is California lagging behind Canada in assisted dying?
In 2016 both Canada and California legalized assisted dying. But from then to 2021, 31,664 Canadians – 3.3% of all...
Canadian prisoners are choosing euthanasia but the public is none the wiser
Canada is the only country which regards euthanasia for people incarcerated in prisons as a human right. Nine prisoners have...
Is Mother’s Day more fun when there are three of them?
A New Zealand court has approved an adoption of a boy named Kaspar who has three mothers. The first is...
Portugal on the brink of legalizing euthanasia
For the fifth time, Portugal's parliament has approved a bill legalising euthanasia. It passed with a comfortable majority -- 129...
Spanish governments lock horns over euthanasia for the disabled
Canada is not the only country caught up in a debate about euthanasia for people with disabilities. In Spain, the...