Choose a case which you consider to be of crucial importance for medical ethics and the law. Explain why you consider that it is so significant, with a focus on the critical evaluation of judicial reasoning in your chosen case, as well as cases preceding
Choose a case which you consider to be of crucial importance for medical ethics and the law. Explain why you consider that it is so significant, with a focus on the critical evaluation of judicial reasoning in your chosen case, as well as cases preceding and following it. The case which I have chosen to study, is that of Diane Pretty v United Kingdom (2346/02), a case that went through the English judicial system and on to the European Court of Human Rights. The reason for this is that it challenges both ethical and legal aspects of our society that are considered to be norms and as such are vehemently protected and which some critics may say should not be questioned, any such questioning being morally wrong and distasteful. But as it will be shown it is not an isolated case, that of an individual with beliefs and a want for euthanasia or "assisted suicide" that cause much controversy and legal difficulty. The very fact that this case finished in the European Court of Human Rights is perhaps a testimony to this very point. Further more it is not uncommon in other societies for such practices to actually be carried out. The Netherlands being one example of this, in which it was believed that approximately two fifths of the deaths in a year, roughly 50,000 were due to euthanasia, with the individuals concerned having their lives shortened by varying degrees, anything from
How does Brian Clark interest and entertain his Audience in the play 'Whose Life is it Anyway?'
How does Brian Clark interest and entertain his Audience in the play 'Whose Life is it Anyway?' Throughout the play, 'Whose life is it anyway?' it is made obvious that it is based on the late 20th century as it contains many references towards modern drugs, medical technology and jargon. It is a strong emotional play focusing on one man as he fights a desperate struggle to regain control of his life and the right to die. Ken Harrison, who is the main character, feels his life has already ended when he is involved in a serious car accident and faces substantial injuries as Dr Emerson emphasises from his notes. "Mr Harrison was admitted here on the afternoon of October 9th as an emergency case following a road accident. He was suffering from a fractured left tibia and right tibia and fibia, a fractured pelvis, four fractured ribs. One of which had punctured the lung and dislocated the fourth vertebra, which had ruptured the spinal cord. He was extensively bruised and had minor lacerations. He was deeply unconscious and remained so for thirty hours. As a result of treatment all the broken bones and ruptured tissue have healed with the exception of the severed spinal cord and this together, with the mental trauma is all that remains of the initial injury." This statement clearly proves that Ken will face a life without any movement in his body below his neck, this therefore
Evaluate the Ethical Arguments For and Against Voluntary Euthanasia
Evaluate the Ethical Arguments For and Against Voluntary Euthanasia Euthanasia is defined as an 'act of killing someone painlessly to relieve his or her suffering'1. It's etymology is derived from the Greek 'eu thanatos' which means a good death. It is a contentious issue that provokes strong arguments for and against changing UK legislation to permit it. The UK currently prohibits active euthanasia. Active euthanasia is an act where the intention is to end or deliberately shorten someone's life. A doctor will administer a drug such as morphine or potassium chloride. Such an act is considered to be murder and a doctor found guilty of this offence faces a long prison sentence. An extremely significant case which played a part in determining whether voluntary active euthanasia is illegal was the case of Dr Cox. His patient Lilian Boyes, who was seventy years old and suffering from severe rheumatoid arthritis, asked him to kill her. She was expected to die within a matter of days, but the pain she was suffering from was unbearable. Out of compassion he gave her a lethal dose of potassium chloride. As there was a possibility that she could have died from other causes due to her condition, he was only charged with attempted murder. Some people may believe that this case was unfair and the fact that Dr Cox was acting out of mercy and compassion should act in favour for him. Even
What is Euthanasia?
EUTHANASIA Euthanasia Recent debates over active euthanasia, "killing" a terminally ill patient, in Holland, has raised the question whether euthanasia is immoral or a simple human right. Doctors seem to have no doubt. They made an oath. The definition of Euthanasia depends on whether it is active or passive. Active Euthanasia I only allowed in Holland, and it means that the doctor takes direct measures to put a patient to sleep, whereas passive Euthanasia only involves stopping pill consumption, or stopping treatment. In England, only passive Euthanasia is allowed. Euthanasia touches some of the deepest feelings in human beings. It is the power over life and death, and responsibilities no one wishes to take, have to be taken. This, of cause, leads to the ultimatum, that it is the patient's own choice. But can we allow some one to take their own lives? Doesn't this mean that everyone else around the patient has failed, that more could have been done? From the patient's point of view, a lot of arguments talk in favour of euthanasia. For one, no body wants to be a burden. If a person has had a car accident, which paralyses him from neck and down, and is doomed to sit in a wheelchair for the rest of his life, he knows that he will be 100% dependant on the ones that care for him, his lived ones, forever. It can also be mentioned that the life quality of a terminally ill
Is euthanasia incompatible with Christian belief and practice?
Is euthanasia incompatible with Christian belief and practice? Euthanasia is the intentional killing by act or omission of one whose life is deemed not worth living. It consists of two Greek words, which are 'eu' and 'thanatos' which mean a good and gentle death. It doesn't just refer to dying as simply and as pleasantly as possible but in some cases it can be called assisted suicide. There are different types of euthanasia and many moral, ethical and religious problems associated with it. Euthanasia is used mainly in institutions where death is chosen deliberately because the person is unwilling to carry on living. There are a number of arguments as to the incompatibility of what Christians believe about euthanasia, but because euthanasia is deemed to be killing, many Christians therefore are against all types of euthanasia because they feel it is wrong. There are four types of euthanasia: passive, active, voluntary and involuntary. Passive euthanasia means that treatment is withdrawn from the patient purposefully so that they will die. Active euthanasia means that a doctor will actively take part in the killing of a patient. Voluntary euthanasia means that the patient who is probably suffering from a terminal illness, actually requests death. Involuntary euthanasia means that the patient is killed by a doctor without consent because they could be in a coma and
The novel "Finding Grace", by Alyssa Brugman is the story of a brain damaged woman named Grace
Expository Oral Anousha and Sabrena are seated on stage as a short clip is played on the projector screen, showing the introduction of a news broadcast. Sabrena: Good afternoon, I am Sabrena Lee. Anousha: And I am Anousha Gilroy. Together: And you are tuned into today's new broadcast. Anousha: Our main stories tonight: 'Finding Grace' and 'Whose Life is it Anyway' are both texts which mobilise the discourse of Disablement, however, they each construct two completely different views. Just how do they do it? We get down and dirty discussing the effects in which the attitudes, values and beliefs inherent and the discourses mobilised in the texts position the readers and viewers to side with a particular opinion over another. Sabrena: In addition, a live debate will be taking place about the controversial issue of euthanasia, or suicide, whichever way you look at it, and who has the right to make the decision concerning whether a person lives or dies. However, firstly, we will cross over to Sam French, who is currently at the National Library of Brisbane. (The tables are moved apart to signify a scene change) Anousha: This is an outrage! I am reporting live from the National Library of Brisbane where a serious felony has been committed. All copies of the novel, 'Finding Grace' have been stolen, (Holds up novel) except for this one. But why, you ask, would anyone
Christian Perspectives - Euthanasia is the intentional killing of a person.
G.C.S.E Coursework Christian Perspectives Euthanasia is the intentional killing of a person. It is about giving a person an easy and gentle death; someone that is terminally ill would often want to have this type of treatment. Some people think euthanasia is right. Some people believe euthanasia is wrong and it is an act of killing. I am going to talk about euthanasia and determine what I think is right. The word Euthanasia comes from two Greek words: 'Eu' which means good and 'thanatus' that means death, together this phrase means 'a good death'. Euthanasia is about making a choice about how to die. There are different types of euthanasia 'voluntary' and 'involuntary'. Voluntary Euthanasia is when someone gives their consent to end their life. It could be because they are under serious pain and cannot take the pressure anymore. Involuntary Euthanasia is when the people cannot make the decision themselves. A close friend or relative might want to make the decision for them. An example of involuntary euthanasia is if someone was in a coma for an extremely long time and hasn't a very good chance of surviving or a baby that is only a few hours old that is in agony and will die in a matter of days. There are different ways which euthanasia can be carried out ' active' and 'passive' euthanasia; there are two different meanings for passive euthanasia. Active Euthanasia is
To pull the plug or not to pull the plug...is that the question? The question of Euthanasia has received increased attention in recent years as the result of the dramatic advances that have been made in medical technology
Pulling the Plug: To pull the plug or not to pull the plug...is that the question? The question of Euthanasia has received increased attention in recent years as the result of the dramatic advances that have been made in medical technology. While the problem itself is an ancient one, rooted in the conflict between the duty to relieve suffering and the duty to preserve human life. Euthanasia has been in society since ancient Greek times, if not before then. Euthanasia is a classical Greek term meaning "easy, happy death" (Wilson, 9). Legalizing Euthanasia, as a whole is not the best decision for our country although in certain situations is justifiable. First of all, one must consider what determines brain death. Secondly, where does society draw the line on what makes a person eligible to consider Euthanasia? Finally, Euthanasia is not something that can be defined easily it has many categories that suit different situations and has different meanings. Lots of people would argue that Legalizing Euthanasia in our country is a decision that bests suits our present society. This argument basically states that all forms of Euthanasia should be accepted. The problem with this type of thinking is that it doesn't consider all the various and controversial parts of Euthanasia. First of all Euthanasia is not just one meaning, it can be broken down into different categories that
Comparison of Islam and Judaism regarding Euthanasia
Comparison of Islam and Judaism regarding Euthanasia Euthanasia gained a legal foothold in Holland. It went to the ballot box in two states in America but was defeated. Its lobby is getting more active. Islam and Judaism have definite views on euthanasia. The principle regarding the sanctity of human life implies that human life is immeasurable, that there is no difference between a healthy person and a physically or mentally impaired person. Likewise, the life expectancy of a patient is immaterial. The life of a human being, whether long or short, is treated equally. Consequently, active euthanasia is absolutely prohibited even if requested by the patient. Islam and Judaism have both stemmed out from the father of all religions, Abraham; Therefore both more or less share the same beliefs. Euthanasia comes in four forms: Active: the result of positive action (e.g. lethal injection) on the part of a carer Passive: the omission or termination of treatment which is prolonging the patient's life Voluntary: carried out at the express wish of the patient Non-voluntary: carried out without the permission of the patient which may or may not be because they are not capable of expressing a view. All religions teach us that life is sacred, it is a gift from God therefore we should protect it. Euthanasia involves the taking of life so it goes against the teachings of
Explain how Christians apply these beliefs to Abortion and Euthanasia, showing you understand different points of view.
Abortion and Euthanasia A02: Explain how Christians apply these beliefs to Abortion and Euthanasia, showing you understand different points of view. Christians apply many different beliefs about abortion and euthanasia, although they may have many different points of view, it is understandable to why they hold certain beliefs and apply them in Christianity. Euthanasia and abortion are two very sensitive issues of which there are strong arguments for and against. Some Christians believe that these two practices are totally wrong and should never be carried out while other Christians, for varying reasons believe euthanasia and abortion are acceptable and even in some cases, the right thing to do. There are many different ways that Christianity applies its beliefs on abortion, here are some of them: The different views/beliefs of abortion The Roman Catholic belief is that even while the baby is still very tiny and still hardly developed the baby growing in the womb is the beginning of a human life, and another human being should not end any life created by God at any stage of its development. All life is precious as the psalm quote below states that: Another human being should not end any life created by God at any stage of its development. All life is precious as the psalmist says 'you created every part of me, you put me together in my Mothers womb... When I was