Euthanasia
- Created by: Emily903
- Created on: 08-05-16 12:44
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- Euthanasia
- British law states that all methods of euthanasia can lead to a charge of murder
- But the law now agrees that withdrawing artificial nutrition and hydration is not murder
- Also withdrawing treatment from patients with little or no chance of survival and ensuring a peaceful death for them is not murder
- Two types of euthanasia
- Passive euthanasia: withdrawal or withholding of treatment
- Active euthanasia: bringing someone'e life to an end
- Many people want it to remain illegal
- It is likely that there will be doubts about what the person actually wants. If money is involve euthanasia may be requested for a rich relative in order for a relative to gain from their will
- If a disease is terminal: a cure may be found or a patient may go into remission
- It is the role of doctors to save lives, not to end them
- People may change their mind about wanting euthanasia, but then it will be too late
- Who would decide to allow the euthanasia to take place? (safe guards)
- Many people want it to made legal
- Advances in medicine have led people to be kept alive who would previously would have died, but they judge their quality of life to be poor
- Life support machine have led to a form of euthanasia as doctors and relatives can agree to switch them off if there is not a chance of the patient regaining consciousness
- Just as life support machines can be switched off, judges have said doctors can stop treatment
- Many people feel that is a basic human right to have control over the end of your life e.g. if people can commit suicide then they have the right to ask a doctor to assist their suicide if they are too weak to do it themselves
- British law states that all methods of euthanasia can lead to a charge of murder
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