EUTHANASIA BY STEALTH EMERGES IN UK
The long campaign against euthanasia in the UK is over, writes Dr James Le Fanu, a columnist for the London Telegraph. Even though 50 British citizens have travelled to the Swiss suicide clinic Dignitas, in Zurich, there has not been a single prosecution. Relying upon a 2002 case in which doctors were allowed to switch off a ventilator for a woman who wanted to die, a court held recently that a local authority had no right to prevent a husband from taking his wife to Zurich.
Le Fanu contends that the law now effectively permits euthanasia and assisted suicide — so long as those seeking it have enough money for the trip and a partner who is willing to accompany them.
Michael Cook edits BioEdge, a bioethics newsletter, and MercatorNet, an on-line magazine whose focus is human dignity. He writes from Sydney, Australia.
Latest posts by Michael Cook (see all)
- How long can you put off seeing the doctor because of lockdowns? - December 3, 2021
- House of Lords debates assisted suicide—again - October 28, 2021
- Spanish government tries to restrict conscientious objection - October 28, 2021
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