Euthanasia, death with dignity, and the law
By: Hazel Biggs.
Publisher: Hart Publ.; Hart Publishing
Published: 2001
Place of publication: Oxford [England]; Portland, Or
Language: eng
Number of pages: 187
Subjects: Euthanasia -- Law and legislation.; Euthanasia.; Euthanasia -- Moral and ethical aspects.
Description: "Many advocates of euthanasia consider the criminal law to be an inappropriate medium to adjudicate the profound ethical and humanitarian dilemmas associated with end of life decisions. 'Euthanasia,Death with Dignity and the Law' examines the legal response to euthanasia and end of life decisions and considers whether legal reform is an appropriate response to calls for euthanasia to be more readily available as a mechanism for providing death with dignity. Through an analysis of consent to treatment, living wills and autonomous medical decision making, euthanasia is carefully located within its legal, medical, and social contexts. This book focuses on the impact of euthanasia on the dignity of both the recipient and the practitioner while emphasising the legal, professional, and ethical implications of euthanasia and its significance for the exercise of clinical discretion. It will provide a valuable addition to the euthanasia debate."--Bloomsbury Publishing.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [175]-181) and index.
Table of contents: title: Machine generated contents note: Table of Cases xi; title: Table of legislation xv; title: Introduction: Medicine Men, Outlaws and Voluntary Euthanasia 1; title: 1. To Kill or not to Kill; is that the Euthanasia Question? 9; title: Introduction-Why Euthanasia? 9; title: Dead or alive? 16; title: Euthanasia as Homicide 25; title: Euthanasia as Death with Dignity 29; title: 2. Euthanasia and Clinically assisted Death: from Caring to Killing? 35; title: Introduction 35; title: The Indefinite Continuation of Palliative Treatment 38; title: Withholding or Withdrawing Treatment 44; title: The Principle of Double Effect 54; title: Physician Assisted Suicide 60; title: Mercy Killing 64; title: Conclusions 66; title: 3. Consent to Treatment but Not to Death 69; title: Introduction-Why Consent? 69; title: Without Consent 70; title: Killing and Consent 73; title: Valid Consent, Freely Given? 74; title: Old Enough to Consent 80; title: Deciding for Others 82; title: Conclusions-A Consent Too Far? 93; title: 4. Autonomy, Self-determination and Self-destruction 95; title: Introduction-Autonomous Choices 95; title: Choosing to Die-Suicide and Autonomy 100; title: Suicidal Intentions 107; title: Autonomous Clinical Discretion 110; title: Deciding to Live or Die-Whose Decision? 112; title: 5. Living Wills and the Will to Die 115; title: Introduction 115; title: I Know My Will 118; title: This is My Will 121; title: I Will Decide 128; title: Will My Will be Done? 134; title: Where There's a Will 137; title: Conclusions 143; title: 6. Is Euthanasia a Dignified Death? 145; title: Introduction-Why Dignity? 145; title: Needing Dignity 146; title: Finding Dignity 149; title: Achieving Dignity in Dying 151; title: Dignifying Death 157; title: 7. Conclusions: Dignified Life, Dignified Death and Dignified Law 165; title: Select Bibliography 175; title: Index 183.