• Meeting report
  • Open access
  • Published: 15 January 2014

Should assisted dying be legalised?

  • Thomas D G Frost 1 ,
  • Devan Sinha 2 &
  • Barnabas J Gilbert 3  

Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine volume  9 , Article number:  3 ( 2014 ) Cite this article

70k Accesses

8 Citations

7 Altmetric

Metrics details

When an individual facing intractable pain is given an estimate of a few months to live, does hastening death become a viable and legitimate alternative for willing patients? Has the time come for physicians to do away with the traditional notion of healthcare as maintaining or improving physical and mental health, and instead accept their own limitations by facilitating death when requested? The Universities of Oxford and Cambridge held the 2013 Varsity Medical Debate on the motion “This House Would Legalise Assisted Dying”. This article summarises the key arguments developed over the course of the debate. We will explore how assisted dying can affect both the patient and doctor; the nature of consent and limits of autonomy; the effects on society; the viability of a proposed model; and, perhaps most importantly, the potential need for the practice within our current medico-legal framework.

Introduction

Over the past two centuries, the United Kingdom has experienced rapid population growth associated with a substantial decline in mortality from acute infectious diseases and poor nutrition [ 1 ]. As the average life expectancy has increased, so too have the rates of debilitating chronic illness – particularly coronary artery disease and cancers [ 2 ]. These diseases require years of treatment instead of the mere days to weeks that medicine once operated within [ 2 ]. Although healthcare systems have sought to adapt to such changes, aiming to prevent and treat such disease wherever possible, debate has arisen regarding those patients in the latter stages of chronic, incurable, terminal conditions [ 3 , 4 ]. Moreover, there is increasing recognition that the patient must be at the centre of health care decision-making, such that outcomes must be tailored to their individual needs and views. By extension, assisted dying might seem a logical step to help achieve these goals within the realm of end-of-life decision making [ 5 ]. Several jurisdictions, notably Oregon (1997) and the Netherlands (2001) have already legalised assisted dying in some form. These factors have contributed to ongoing legislative discussions within Parliaments for almost a decade, with current opinion polling suggesting a majority of medical practitioners and the public in favour of physician-assisted suicide [ 6 ].

Viability of assisted dying in practice

In the UK, a model for assisted dying has been developed from the legal structure found within the Assisted Dying Bill introduced by Lord Falconer in the House of Lords in 2013 [ 7 ]. Assisted dying could only be considered under circumstances in which a patient of legal age is diagnosed with a progressive disease that is irreversible by treatment and is “reasonably expected to die within six months” [ 7 ]. Registered medical practitioners would make such decisions for patients with terminal illnesses. Addressing the technicalities of ‘assisted dying’ requires distinction between ‘physician-assisted suicide’ (offering patients medical actions or cessation of actions by which they can end their own life) and ‘euthanasia’ (whereby the medical practitioner actively induces death). In light of the strong hostility of the medical profession towards active euthanasia, this proposed model, as with previous attempts to legalise assisted dying, permitted only the former [ 8 – 10 ].

However, there is concern that such distinction may be unrealistic in practice because medical practitioners could find themselves with a patient who had failed to successfully end their own life and was subsequently left in a state of greater suffering. Were such a patient no longer able to give consent, a heavy burden would then be placed on the physician regarding how to proceed. Moreover, the practice of physician-assisted suicide might be deemed discriminatory, for example by giving only patients with good mobility control over their own method of death.

The Assisted Dying Bill 2013 included the provision that any terminal prognosis must be confirmed and attested by a second registered practitioner. The strictness of such criteria has parallels to a similar double-physician requirement when procuring a legal abortion under the 1967 Abortion Act. The stated aims of the provision in both cases are as follows: first, to check the accuracy of the prognosis upon which the decision was being made; second, to ensure that the situation meets the required criteria; and third, to check that such a decision was taken by the patient after full consideration of all available options [ 11 , 12 ]. By having a second independent doctor, the legislation ensures that all three checks are met without prejudice or mistake.

Problematic for any protocol for assisted dying is the fact that estimates of life expectancy in terminal prognoses are erroneous in 80.3% of cases [ 13 ]. Furthermore, the accuracy of such prognoses deteriorates with increased length of clinical predicted survival. Forecasts of survival times are based largely on past clinical experience, and the inherent variability between patients makes this more of an art than a science. This brings to concern both the accuracy of any prognosis meeting the six-month threshold and the validity of requests for assisted dying based partly or wholly on predicted survival times. Whilst the majority of errors in life expectancy forecasts are a matter of over-optimism and hence would not affect either of those two concerns, many cases remain unaccounted for. Overly pessimistic forecasts occur in 17.3% of prognoses; hence we must decide whether the one in six patients making a decision based on an inaccurate prognosis is too high a cost to justify the use of this system. Patients requesting an assisted death often cite future expectations of dependency, loss of dignity, or pain [ 14 ]. If the hypothetical point at which the progression of their illness means they would consider life to be not worth living is not, as informed, mere weeks away but in fact many more months, then this information would have resulted in a different decision outcome and potentiated unnecessary loss of life.

Whilst the presence of a second doctor would be expected to mitigate such forecasting errors, the anchoring bias of the initial prediction may be enough to similarly reduce the accuracy of the second estimate. It is prudent to question the true independence of a second medical practitioner, and whether this second consultation could become more of a formality, as has now become the case with abortion [ 15 ].

Another challenge for an assisted dying system would be to recognise whether patients requesting death were legally competent to make that decision. Consider that any request for suicide from a patient with clinical depression is generally categorised as a manifestation of that mental disorder, thereby lacking capacity. It is arguably impossible to separate out the natural reactions to terminal illness and clinical depression. Indeed, there is evidence that major depressive disorders afflict between 25% and 77% of patients with terminal illness [ 16 , 17 ]. Any protocol for assisted dying must first determine what qualifies as a ‘fit mental state’ for a terminal patient.

The need for assisted dying

It could be argued that a doctor’s fundamental duty is to alleviate forms of suffering in the best interests of the patient. The avoidance of physical pain, as an obvious manifestation of suffering, might explain why assisted dying would be both necessary and within the duties of a doctor to provide. The evolving principle in common law known as the ‘Doctrine of Double Effect’ offers a solution to this problem [ 18 ]. This legal judgement stated that “[a doctor] is entitled to do all that is proper and necessary to relieve pain even if the measures he takes may incidentally shorten life”. This entails that a protocol already exists for patients searching for an escape from chronic pain. Furthermore, numerous retrospective studies have revealed very little correlation between opioid dose and mean survival times: one study of over 700 opioid-treated patients found that the variation in survival time from high-dose opioid treatment is less than 10% [ 19 – 21 ]. It can therefore be said that pain alone, if appropriately managed, should never be cause for considering assisted dying as an alternative.

By contrast, the ‘Doctrine of Double Effect’ might be seen as a subjective interpretation that has been applied unequally due to a lack of specialist training or knowledge [ 22 ]. Despite this, the principle can be easily understood and poor awareness can be remedied by improvements in medical education and standardisation of protocols. Moreover, should we choose to accept arguments for assisted dying that are based upon inadequate administration of pain medication, we set a precedent for conceding shortcomings in palliative care and other end-of-life treatments. Offering hastened death could become an alternative to actively seeking to improve such failings.

Whilst much has been made of the ‘pain argument’ here, the call for assisted dying is rarely this simple. Many patients also suffer a loss of dignity, often due to their lack of mobility – the inability to relieve oneself without help is a potent example. Beyond this are additional fears of further debilitation and the emotional costs of dealing with chronic illness, both for the patient and for their relatives and friends. A study of terminal patients in Oregon showed that these were the most significant reasons behind requests for assisted suicide, the next commonest reason being the perception of themselves as a ‘burden’ [ 14 ]. Clearly, we could seek to provide balanced, compassionate medical care for these patients, and still fail to address these points.

Developments in healthcare and technology may reduce this emotional burden, but remain an imperfect solution.

Rights of patients and limitations of their autonomy

J.S. Mill’s pithy dictum describes autonomy as follows: “over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign” [ 23 ]. Not only has the sanctity of bodily autonomy profoundly influenced the development of liberal democracies, it has also provoked a holistic shift in making our healthcare systems more patient-centred – “care that meets and responds to patients’ wants, needs and preferences and where patients are autonomous and able to decide for themselves” [ 5 ]. The ethical principle of controlling the fate of one’s own body is inherently relevant to the debate on assisted dying. It is difficult to reconcile that citizens may have the right to do almost anything to and with their own bodies– from participating in extreme sports to having elective plastic surgery – yet a terminal patient cannot choose to avoid experiencing additional months of discomfort or loss of dignity in their final months of life.

Expectation of individual liberty has been codified in law. The right to bodily autonomy has been interpreted to be included under Article 8 - the right to privacy - of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and subsequently the Human Rights Act (HRA) [ 24 , 25 ]. Moreover, the ECHR underpins the right of individuals to ‘inherent dignity’ [ 26 ]. Hence, if an individual feels that dignity is unattainable due to the progression of a terminal illness, then taking recourse though assisted dying ought to be a legitimate option.

Conversely, there are two notable oversights in this interpretation of a right to assisted dying as an extension of the principles of bodily autonomy:

First, it would be wrong to view individual liberty as absolute. The HRA allows for exceptions to Article 8 on grounds of ‘health or morals’ [ 25 ]. The principle of autonomy is not inviolable. Governments have limited such privileges for the protection of individuals and society, for example by criminalizing the use of recreational drugs or the selling of one’s own organs. The preservation of life by denying assisted dying could fall within this category.

Second, the right of autonomy is not necessarily intrinsic to human beings but, as Kant argued, is dependent on our ‘rational nature’ [ 27 ]. This concept sees autonomy as an exercise of ‘evaluative choice’ [ 27 ], requiring rationality on the part of individuals to appreciate the nature of options and their consequences. To achieve true autonomy, there must be sufficient information to make those rational decisions; this is the basis of informed consent and why it is a fundamental duty of a doctor to offer a patient an informed series of treatment options [ 28 ]. The logistical issue is that doctors are unable to advise patients regarding the point at which their situation becomes less preferable to being dead. No doctor (or individual) has any knowledge or experience of what ‘death’ may be like. Hence, in this case, the idea of exercising true autonomy through informed consent might be considered meaningless.

Legalising assisted dying by attempting to establish an absolute right to bodily autonomy may undermine other individual and group rights. Vulnerable patients may feel pressured into assisted dying because of social, emotional, or financial strains placed on family and/or friends. This is exemplified by the trend showing that the proportion of patients stating ‘relief of burden’ on others as the reason for requesting assisted dying has risen from 17% to 25% in Oregon since legalisation [ 29 ]. One could even consider the risk of assisted dying becoming an expected choice rather than a free one. Thus, assisted dying may erode the elemental right to life of terminal patients as the value of their life becomes tied to relative costs to society and to those around them.

Moreover, by creating one class of individuals for whom life is expendable, that particular view may be extended by society to all groups possessing such attributes (e.g. the permanently disabled). There would be a definite risk to the rights of these vulnerable groups in the form of society being less willing to provide for their health and social care.

It is often raised that the limited legalisation of assisted dying would inevitably become extended in scope, but this is not necessarily a flaw. Even if the right to determine the manner of death were later extended to a wider group of people, posterity may reflect positively on such a change, just as extending the franchise to women ultimately led to legislation demanding equal pay.

Effect on health professionals and their role

‘To act in the best interest of the patient’ is often cited as a central duty of the doctor [ 28 ]. This concept of ‘best interest’ guiding the doctor’s action has seen the development of two important ethical principles: beneficence and non-maleficence. Beneficence mandates that the actions of the doctor must be aimed to bring about benefit (clinical improvement) for the patient, usually measured in terms of reduced morbidity or mortality; non-maleficence requires that the doctor not carry out treatment that is likely to cause overall harm the patient [ 30 ]. These traditional ethical imperatives on a doctor both conflict with intentionally hastening the death of a patient, and a resolution of this tension would require redefining what constitutes ‘acting in the best interest’.

A further dimension is the potential reluctance of health professionals to engage in a practice that contravenes their own ethical beliefs, particularly as this would affect doctors who never entered training in the knowledge that assisting patients to die would be an expected duty. This is certainly no argument against the introduction of assisted dying; indeed, a recent survey of a cohort of NHS doctors found that 46% would seriously consider requests from patients to undertake steps to hasten death [ 31 ]. It merely expresses the point that any early model would have to account for the fact that an initial 54% of the doctors in the NHS would be required to advise qualifying patients of assisted dying as a legitimate option, despite disagreeing with it in principle.

Furthermore, doctors who agree ethically with this practice may find themselves facing conflicts of interest. It is expensive to treat chronically ill patients, particularly in the final months of life [ 32 ]. Moreover, it would be difficult for commissioners to ignore the fact that the sustained treatment of one individual could deprive many others from access to surgery or access to novel drugs. Such an argument does not suggest that doctors or any other hospital staff would treat this practice without appropriate respect or care; rather it acknowledges the need for appropriate rationing of care and questions the intentions of service providers. The perception of an ulterior motive could negatively impact patient trust. One survey showed that a reasonable minority of patients (27%) – and particularly particularly the elderly – believe that legalising assisted dying would lessen their trust in their personal physician [ 33 ]. The costs of weakened trust in the doctor-patient relationship could far outweigh the benefits of assisted dying, particularly given the importance of trust when treating a chronic patient for an extended period of time.

There is no doubt that assisted dying would empower some patients to maximise control over the timing and manner of their own death. Such expression of autonomy would surely solidify moves towards a patient-centred approach to healthcare. However, the capacity for such consensual requests remains in doubt. Clinically, the patient’s state of mind and the reliability of diagnostic predictions are of issue; philosophically, the idea of informed consent for death is contradictory. The implications for patients, physicians and society have been weighed extensively within this article. The central tenet throughout has been the balancing of an individual’s right to escape a circumstance that they find intolerable, alongside the consequential changes to their other rights, and the rights and responsibilities of third parties. Ultimately, the challenge is for us as a society to decide where this balance lies.

About the debate

The Varsity Medical Debate was started in 2008 with the aim of allowing students, professors and members of the polis, to engage in discussion about ethics and policy within healthcare. Utilising the age-old rivalry between the two Universities, the debate encourages medical students from both Oxford and Cambridge to consider and articulate the arguments behind topics that will feature heavily in their future careers.

The debate was judged on the logic, coherence, and evidence in arguments, as well as flair in presentation. Although the debaters may not have necessarily agreed with their allocated side, the debate format required them to acknowledge a particular school of thought and present the key arguments behind it. Oxford, who opposed the motion, was awarded the victory in the debate; however, this does not mean that the judges believe that position ought to become public policy.

Colgrove J: The McKeown thesis: a historical controversy and its enduring influence. Am J Public Health. 2002, 92: 725-729. 10.2105/AJPH.92.5.725

Article   Google Scholar  

Yach D, Hawkes C, Linn Gould C, Hofman K: The global burden of chronic diseases: overcoming impediments to prevention and control. J Am Med Assoc. 2004, 291 (21): 2616-2622. 10.1001/jama.291.21.2616. doi:10.1001/jama.291.21.2616

Lankhorst EK, Spreeuwenberg C: Managing Chronic Conditions. Experience in Eight Countries. European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. Edited by: Nolte E, Cécile K, Martin MK. 2008, The Netherlands: WHO Regional Office Europe

Google Scholar  

Hudson PL, Kristjanson LJ, Ashby M: Desire for hastened death in patients with advanced disease and the evidence base of clinical guidelines: a systematic review. Palliat Med. 2006, 20: 693-701. 10.1177/0269216306071799

Hogg C: Patient-Centred Care - Tomorrow’s Doctors. 2004, GMC

Harris D, Richard B, Khanna P: Assisted dying: the ongoing debate. Postgrad Med J. 2006, 82 (970): 479-482. doi:10.1136/pgmj.2006.047530

House of Lords assisted Dying Bill: House of Lords. 2013, http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/lbill/2013-2014/0024/2014024.pdf (accessed 23 October 2013)

House of Lords Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill: House of Lords. 2005, http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200506/ldbills/036/2006036.pdf (accessed 15 Feb 2006)

Sanders K, Chaloner C: Voluntary euthanasia: ethical concepts and definitions. Nurs Stand. 2007, 21 (35): 41-44. 10.7748/ns2007.05.21.35.41.c4554. 10.7748/ns2007.05.21.35.41.c4554

Lee W, Price A, Rayner L, Hotopf M: Survey of doctors’ opinions of the legalisation of physician assisted suicide. BMC Med Ethics. 2009, 10: 2- 10.1186/1472-6939-10-2

House of Commons: Science and Technology Committee, Scientific Developments Relating to the Abortion Act 1967. 2007, London: tso, Volume 1

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Campaigns and Opinions. http://www.rcog.org.uk/what-we-do/campaigning-and-opinions/briefings-and-qas-/human-fertilisation-and-embryology-bill/brie-1

Christakis NA, Lamont EB: Extent and determinants of error in physicians’ prognoses in terminally ill patients. BMJ. 2000, 320: 469-473. 10.1136/bmj.320.7233.469

Ganzini L, Goy E, Dobscha S: Oregonians’ reasons for requesting physician aid in dying. J Am Med Assoc Int Med. 2009, 169 (5): 489-492. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2008.579

Care Quality Commision. Findings of Termination of Pregnancy Inspections Published. 2012, http://www.cqc.org.uk/media/findings-termination-pregnancy-inspections-published , July

Watson M, Lucas C, Hoy A: Oxford Handbook of Palliative Care. 2005, Oxford: Oxford University Medical Press

Fine R: Depression, anxiety, and delirium in the terminally ill patient. Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent). 2001, 14 (2): 130-133.

R v Adams [1957] Crim LR 773.

Morita T, Tsunoda J, Inoue S, Chihara S: Effects of high dose opioids and sedatives on survival in terminally ill cancer patients. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2001, 21 (4): 282-289. doi:10.1016/S0885-3924(01)00258-5

Bengoechea I, Gutiérrez S, Vrotsou K, Onaindia M, Lopez J: Opioid use at the end of life and survival in a hospital at home unit. J Palliat Med. 2010, 100828074323069: doi:10.1089/jpm.2010.0031

Thorns A, Sykes N: Opioid use in last week of life and implications for end-of-life decision-making. Lancet. 2000, 356 (9227): 398-399. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(00)02534-4

Preston T, Patterson J: The rule of double effect. N Engl J Med. 1998, 338: 1389-1391.

Mill JS: “On Liberty” in On Liberty and Other Essays. 14-15.

Human Rights Act. 1998, HMSO

Judgment on the Merits Delivered by a Chamber. Y.F. v. TURKEY, no. 24209, /94, ECHR 2003-IV

McCrudden C: Human dignity and judicial interpretation of human rights. Eur J Int Law. 2008, 19 (4): 655-724. 10.1093/ejil/chn043. doi:10.1093/ejil/chn043

Savulescu J: Autonomy, the Good Life and Controversial Choices. 2006

General Medical Council: Good Medical Practice. 2013, GMC

Oregon Department of Human Services. Fifth Annual Report on Oregon’s Death with Dignity act. http://egov.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/pas/docs/year5.pdf

Campbell : Medical Ethics. 1997, Oxford: Oxford University Press

Ward B, Tate P: Attitudes among NHS doctors to requests for euthanasia. BMJ. 1994, 308: 1332- 10.1136/bmj.308.6940.1332

National Audit Office. End of Life Care : Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General. HC 1043 Session 2007-2008. 2008, NAO

Hall M, Trachtenberg M, Duggan E: The impact on patient trust of legalising physician aid in dying. J Med Ethics. 2005, 31 (12): 693-697. doi:10.1136/jme.2004.011452

Download references

Acknowledgements

For Cambridge University: Hilmi Bayri (Trinity), Alistair Bolger (Jesus), Casey Swerner (St Johns).

For Oxford University: Devan Sinha (Brasenose), Thomas Frost (Lincoln), Collis Tahzib (Lincoln).

Martin Farrell (Cambridge).

Baroness Finlay: Professor of Palliative Care Medicine and former President of the Royal Society of Medicine.

Dr. Roger Armour: Vascular Surgeon and Inventor of the Lens Free Ophthalmoscope.

Mr. Robert Preston: Director of Living and Dying Well.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Lincoln College, Turl Street, Oxford, OX1 3DR, UK

Thomas D G Frost

Brasenose College, Oxford, OX1 4AJ, UK

Devan Sinha

Green Templeton College, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6HG, UK

Barnabas J Gilbert

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Barnabas J Gilbert .

Additional information

Competing interests.

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Authors’ contributions

All authors planned and elucidated the layout. TDGF and DS drafted the manuscript which was critically edited and added to by BJG. All authors have read and approved the final draft.

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 ), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver ( https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ ) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Frost, T.D.G., Sinha, D. & Gilbert, B.J. Should assisted dying be legalised?. Philos Ethics Humanit Med 9 , 3 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1186/1747-5341-9-3

Download citation

Received : 12 November 2013

Accepted : 11 January 2014

Published : 15 January 2014

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/1747-5341-9-3

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

  • Assisted dying
  • Legalisation
  • Physician-assisted suicide

Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine

ISSN: 1747-5341

should euthanasia be legalized in the uk essay

The pros and cons of legalising euthanasia

Help to end suffering for terminal patients could put disabled, elderly and unwell people at risk, opponents warn

  • Newsletter sign up Newsletter

Triptych of a setting sun

Pro: an end to suffering

Con: losing legal protection, pro: ending 'mercy killings', con: 'slippery slope', pro: shifting opinion, con: religious concerns.

 Demonstrations calling for the decriminalisation of assisted dying are to take place in central London today to coincide with a debate among MPs in Westminster.

The Commons debate – which will not be followed by a vote – was triggered after a petition backed by campaigner Esther Rantzen gained more than 200,000 signatures.

Rantzen, who has stage four lung cancer, revealed last year that she had joined the assisted dying clinic Dignitas, in Switzerland, but that under current UK law her family could be at risk of prosecution if they helped her travel there to end her life.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

"The Great British Bake Off" judge Prue Leith, actor Susan Hampshire and rights campaigner Peter Tatchell are all expected to attend the protests calling for a change in the law. A previous bill in favour of assisted dying was defeated in the Commons by 330 votes to 118 in 2015.

Also known as euthanasia , assisted dying is a controversial issue for legislatures worldwide, with widely cited arguments both for and against a practice that is legal in some countries while totally taboo in others.

It is currently banned in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland – although not a specific criminal offence in Scotland – and carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

Allowing patients to end their suffering is not only morally justified but also essential to upholding the right to personal and bodily autonomy, advocates argue.

A major parliamentary inquiry set up last year to explore whether assisted dying should be legalised in the UK received tens of thousands of submissions from people facing "uncontrollable" pain and "unbearable suffering", which palliative care alone cannot fix,  The Guardian reported.

Paul Lamb, a paralysed former builder from Leeds who died in June 2021, had  lost his legal case to challenge UK laws on assisted dying seven months earlier.

"I cannot understand, in a civilised society like ours, why I should be forced to suffer when millions of people around the world already have the choice I asked for," he said in November 2020.

It is currently a criminal offence under the 1961 Suicide Act to help someone take their own life, punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

Some people believe that legalising euthanasia would put too much power in the hands of doctors, who could abuse their position, or relatives.

Rita Marker, executive director of the International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide in the US, has argued: "Euthanasia and assisted suicide are not about the right to die. They are about the right to kill."

The UK's anti-euthanasia  Care Not Killing alliance said that the law is also in place to protect the vulnerable "from being pressured into ending their lives".

Making her case against any law change, Ilora Finlay, a crossbench peer and palliative care physician, told the parliamentary inquiry that legalising euthanasia in Britain could result in between 5,800 and 58,000 assisted deaths a year, based on extrapolated data from countries where it is already legal. "Such demand would divert an already stretched workforce of NHS clinicians," she said. 

According to  Dignity in Dying , 44% of people would break the law and help a loved one to die, risking 14 years in prison.

In 2022 the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it was considering revising its stance on so-called mercy killings so that defendants are less likely to face criminal charges.

"We are not decriminalising any offence," Max Hill, director of public prosecutions and head of the CPS, told the  i news site, but in offences "born solely out of compassion", justice can sometimes "be achieved by not prosecuting".

Campaigners claim that UK police are also increasingly turning a blind eye to people travelling to other countries to assist loved ones to end their life.

Opponents argue that normalising euthanasia would be a move towards legalised murder.

This "slippery slope is real", said James Mildred of Care (Christian Action Research and Education), which campaigns against assisted suicide. In a 2018 article in  The Economist , Mildred cited "a steady increase year on year in the number of people being killed or helped to commit suicide by their doctors" in countries that have legalised assisted suicide, as the rules are loosened over time.

"Critics say this is happening in Canada," said  New Scientist , "with the criteria for assisted dying having expanded once already and a further change planned for next year." Canada, which introduced Medical Assistance in Dying, or MAID, in 2016, has seen the number of people choosing to end their life rise steadily ever since, with  MAID deaths comprising 4.1% of all deaths in 2022. 

There has been a significant shift in recent years among both the public and professional medical opinion regarding assisted dying for people with a terminal illness.

Polling for  The Guardian last August found 65% of people in the UK believe it should become legal for a doctor to assist an adult of sound mind with less than six months to live to voluntarily end their own life, subject to High Court confirmation.

Dignity in Dying claims this number is even higher, and also that 54% of GPs are supportive or neutral to a law change on assisted dying. 

Many religious people, especially Catholics, believe that life is the ultimate gift and that taking that away is usurping power that belongs to God only. 

In 2020, the Vatican reiterated the Roman Catholic Church's opposition to assisted suicide and euthanasia, describing them as "intrinsically evil" acts "in every situation or circumstance",  The New York Times reported. 

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox

A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com

Tommy Robinson standing outside Westminster Magistrates court in London

The Explainer The best-known figure on the UK’s extreme-right has been accused of playing a part in inciting the recent riots

By The Week UK Published 24 August 24

Rachel Gunn competing in Breakdancing at the Paris 2024 Olympics, France.

Talking Point Australian Olympic breakdancer Rachael Gunn has become 'a worldwide meme'

Political Cartoon

Cartoons Artists take on campaign contrasts, Biden's popularity, and more

By The Week US Published 24 August 24

  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Advertise With Us

The Week is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site . © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

  • Top 10 Pro & Con Arguments

Should euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide be legal?

  • Legalization
  • Legalization: Medical Perspectives
  • Legalization: Lawmakers’ Views
  • Vulnerable Groups
  • Hippocratic Oath
  • Legal Right
  • Slippery Slope
  • Palliative Care
  • Physician Obligation
  • Financial Motivations
1.

We are able to choose all kinds of things in life from who we marry to what kind of work we do and I think when one comes to the end of one’s life, whether you have a terminal illness or whether you’re elderly, you should have a choice about what happens to you…

I’m pro life – I want to live as long as I possibly can, but l also believe the law should be changed to let anyone with some severe medical condition which is causing unbearable symptoms to have an assisted suicide. I wouldn’t want to be unnecessarily kept alive against my own will.”


Coordinator, Society for Old Age Rational Suicide (SOARS)
“Euthanasia: The Right to Die Should Be a Matter of Personal Choice,”
Aug. 19, 2013

Public Policy Fellow, Center for Ethics and Culture, University of Notre Dame
“Q&A with the Scholars: Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia,” Lozier Institute website
Jan. 30, 2017
2.
on the ballot in November. In 1997, as executive editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, when the issue was before the US Supreme Court, I wrote an editorial favoring it, and told the story of my father, who shot himself rather than endure a protracted death from metastatic cancer of the prostate.

It seems to me that, as with opposition based on whether the physician is ‘active,’ the argument that physicians should be only ‘healers’ focuses too much on the physician, and not enough on the patient. When healing is no longer possible, when death is imminent and patients find their suffering unbearable, then the physician’s role should shift from healing to relieving suffering in accord with the patient’s wishes. Still, no physician should have to comply with a request to assist a terminally ill patient to die, just as no patient should be coerced into making such a request. It must be a choice for both patient and physician.”


Senior Lecturer in Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School
“May Doctors Help You to Die?,”
Oct. 11, 2012

, ama-assn.org
June 2016
3.

Governor of California
Statement upon signing ABx2 15, gov.ca.gov
Oct. 15, 2015

There would be other long-term consequences of legalising euthanasia that we cannot yet envisage. We can be sure that these consequences would be pernicious, however, because they would emanate from an initiative which, while nobly motivated, is wrong in principle – attempting to deal with the problems of human beings by killing them.”


Australian politician and former member of the Victorian Legislative Council
“Opinion: Why We Should Not Legalize Euthanasia,”
Nov. 13, 2010
4.

Professor of Moral Philosophy, University of Oxford
“Assisted Dying and Protecting the Vulnerable,” blog.practicalethics.oc.ac.uk
Sep. 17, 2015

The truth is that assisted suicide as public policy is rife with dangerous loopholes and consequences, especially for the vulnerable in our society. We should reject laws that legalize the practice.”


President and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities
“Assisted Suicide Laws Are Creating a ‘Duty-to-Die’ Medical Culture,” thehill.com
Dec. 17, 2017
5.

Retired family doctor
“Doctors Debate the Ethics of Assisted Suicide,” scpr.org
May 18, 2015

I believe that the ambivalence and discomfort experienced by a substantial percentage of PAS-participating physicians is directly connected to the Hippocratic Oath – arguably, the most important foundational document in medical ethics. The Oath clearly states: ‘I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody if asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect.’…

Indeed, when patients nearing the end of life express fears of losing control, or being deprived of dignity, compassionate and supportive counseling is called for – not assistance in committing suicide.”


Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University
“How Does Assisting Suicide Affect Physicians?,” theconversation.com
Jan. 7, 2018
6.

US Senator (R-OK)
Consideration of House Resolution 2260, Pain Relief Promotion Act of 1999, gpo.gov
Oct. 27, 1999
7.

Professor of Law, Dalhousie University
“Fact Check: Has Assisted Dying Been a Legal Slippery Slope Overseas?,” abc.net.au
July 15, 2018

Indeed, this has materialised to some degree, whether by a formal extension of categories of persons to whom euthanasia is allowed, or by loose application of criteria by personnel involved in the administration of euthanasia. For example, Belgium removed the age restriction for euthanasia in 2014; assisted death has extended beyond the line originally drawn by the law in the Netherlands to patients regarded as legally and mentally incompetent and the possibility of extension to those who are not terminally ill but feel their lives are complete is being considered; severe psychic pain in and otherwise healthy person has been thought sufficient ground for requesting euthanasia; and researchers have found cases of non-voluntary euthanasia in the form of the termination of lives of disabled infants in the Netherlands.

Denying euthanasia honours the sanctity of life and the equal, underived, intrinsic moral worth of all persons, including the very weakest who can no longer contribute to society – principles of which so many other laws pivot.”


Associate Professor of Law, Singapore Management University and Solicitor
“The Case against Physician-Assisted Suicide and Voluntary Active Euthanasia,”
Aug. 2017
8.

Opposing euthanasia to palliative care…neither reflects the Dutch reality that palliative medicine is incorporated within end-of-life care nor the place of the option of assisted death at the request of a patient within the overall spectrum of end-of-life care.”


Associate Professor in Medical Philosophy, Center for Ethics and Philosophy at Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam
Professor in Philosophy and Medical Ethics, Center of Ethics and Philosophy at the Vrije Universiteit Medical Center, Amsterdam
“Assisted Death in the Netherlands: Physician at the Bedside When Help Is Requested,”
2004

Professor in the Department of Neurology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, New York Medical College

2002
9.

Professor of Palliative Care, Medicine, and Psychiatry, University of Rochester
“Should Physicians Help Terminal Patients Die?,” medscape.com
Aug. 25, 2016

Professor of Philosophy, City University of New York
“Physician, Stay Thy Hand!,”
1998
10.

“The Facts: Medical Aid in Dying in the United States,” compassionandchoices.org
Dec. 2016

President and CEO, American Association of People with Disabilities
“Assisted Suicide Laws Are Creating a ‘Duty-to-Die’ Medical Culture,” thehill.com
Dec. 17, 2017

should euthanasia be legalized in the uk essay

People who view this page may also like:

  • United States vs. International Health Care Spending
  • States with Legal Physician-Assisted Suicide
  • Should Marijuana Be a Medical Option?

ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA

Natalie Leppard Managing Editor [email protected]

© 2023 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved

  • Euthanasia – Pros & Cons
  • Top Pro & Con Quotes
  • Historical Timeline
  • Did You Know?
  • States with Legal Medical Aid in Dying (MAID)
  • Religious Perspectives on Euthanasia and Medical Aid in Dying (MAID)
  • Euthanasia & Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) around the World
  • Landmark Euthanasia and Medical Aid in Dying Court Cases

Cite This Page

  • Additional Resources
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Private Prisons
  • Space Colonization
  • Social Media
  • Death Penalty
  • School Uniforms
  • Video Games
  • Animal Testing
  • Gun Control
  • Banned Books
  • Teachers’ Corner

ProCon.org is the institutional or organization author for all ProCon.org pages. Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. Below are the proper citations for this page according to four style manuals (in alphabetical order): the Modern Language Association Style Manual (MLA), the Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago), the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), and Kate Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Turabian). Here are the proper bibliographic citations for this page according to four style manuals (in alphabetical order):

[Editor's Note: The APA citation style requires double spacing within entries.]

[Editor’s Note: The MLA citation style requires double spacing within entries.]

  • Work & Careers
  • Life & Arts

The UK’s assisted dying debate is reaching a tipping point

To read this article for free, register now.

Once registered, you can: • Read free articles • Get our Editor's Digest and other newsletters • Follow topics and set up personalised events • Access Alphaville: our popular markets and finance blog

Explore more offers.

Then $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism. Cancel anytime during your trial.

FT Digital Edition

Today's FT newspaper for easy reading on any device. This does not include ft.com or FT App access.

  • Global news & analysis
  • Expert opinion

Standard Digital

Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Pay a year upfront and save 20%.

  • FT App on Android & iOS
  • FT Edit app
  • FirstFT: the day's biggest stories
  • 20+ curated newsletters
  • Follow topics & set alerts with myFT
  • FT Videos & Podcasts

Terms & Conditions apply

Explore our full range of subscriptions.

Why the ft.

See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times.

  • Take Subject Spotlight

Euthanasia: should it be legalised in the UK?

This is a Law Subject Spotlight with Dr Kieran Doran from University of Sunderland. An interactive, cinematic course taster experience to allow students to gain insights into what it's like to study Law.

Springpod

Take this Subject Spotlight to...

This Subject Spotlight contains topics of a sensitive nature. In this captivating Subject Spotlight, Dr Kieran Doran introduces the very topical but controversial debate surrounding euthanasia, whilst interweaving the legal and moral implications in. The title is: Euthanasia: should it be legalised in the UK? - a thought provoking and critical topic of discussion in the modern age. Dr Kieran Doran begins by giving an overview of what euthanasia is, the moral difficulties, and where it is currently legal. He also thinks about consent, and how the approach to euthanasia has changed from a healthcare professional approach to a more patient centric approach. He concludes by explaining what the law on euthanasia is today in the UK. He goes on to investigate the Mental Capacity act 2005, and how that has impacted legislation for doctors, as well as document undue influence and the factors that are key to this theory, before explaining informed consent and how it relates to professionalism. In episode 3, Kieran introduces two very important case studies in reference to euthanasia. One case study focuses on the act of euthanasia abroad, and how laws are different in two jurisdictions. Dr Kieran also discusses a second case study which occurred  in the UK. Finally, Kieran presents a well-known legal case surrounding euthanasia and sets you a research activity which encourages you to consider the many elements involving a delicate scenario like this.

should euthanasia be legalized in the uk essay

About University of Sunderland

The University of Sunderland is a top 50 UK university (Guardian University Guide 2024) and a global institution which offers life-changing opportunities for over 20,000 students across its four campuses in Sunderland, London and Hong Kong. With over 300 undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses, placement opportunities and the option to study full or part-time, there’s something for everyone at Sunderland. The University of Sunderland has also received five stars for teaching, inclusiveness, employability and facilities in the QS World University Rankings 2023 and is in the top 10 UK universities for social inclusion (The Times Good University Guide 2024).

Meet the academics

should euthanasia be legalized in the uk essay

Dr Kieran Doran is a Lecturer in Law at the University of Sunderland. Kieran has been particularly active in legal research in the area of healthcare law, including the legal confidentiality of clinical records, informed consent and advanced healthcare planning, and recent developments in the law of termination of pregnancy in Ireland. He has also undertaken legal research on topics such as a clinician’s understanding of the appropriate application of "do not apply cardio-pulmonary resuscitation" orders, the legal position governing the prescribing of contraceptives to minor patients, and alternative dispute resolution in clinical negligence litigation. In addition, Kieran has published academic articles on issues such as the legibility of clinical records in clinical practice, as well as topics relating to his own work with medical students in student welfare & pastoral care, and undergraduate medical research (e.g. the teaching of Clinical Research Ethics). Kieran is currently the module coordinator for the online LLM module, Employment Law, and is extensively involved as an LLM dissertation supervisor. Some of the areas of law he is supervising include data protection and e-commerce, alternative dispute resolution in international trade, and the use of artificial intelligence in international trade. He also delivers lectures on the second year LLB modules on dispute resolution and the law of evidence, as well as the third year module, Medical Law. Kieran is heavily involved in the training of trainee solicitors through the legal practice course, teaching on the modules of Advanced Litigation and Employment Law and Practice. Kieran also works with undergraduate and postgraduate students in the LPC office training in the law clinic. Kieran has a wide range of interests in legal research and his background is primarily in legal research within healthcare law, and he has written on a variety of topics including clinical negligence, informed consent, clinical confidentiality, clinical research ethics, plus ethical and legal issues at the beginning and end of Life. Kieran also has extensive experience and knowledge in alternative dispute resolution law, criminal law, data protection law, employment law, EU law, health & safety Law, and the legal system, which includes civil litigation and the coroners' court.

In every Subject Spotlight you'll find

On-demand interactive video content.

Sign up, log in, and access a wide range of potentially life-changing Subject Spotlight experiences that will help you make informed decisions about your university future.

Remarkable & relatable academics

Learn from some of the UK's finest and most decorated academics as they give you a genuine, insightful, and engaging experience of studying their courses at their universities.

Interactive quizzes and activities

Have a go at fascinating interactive quizzes and activities, then get meaningful and intuitive feedback from the academics to see how you've done.

Content to enhance students university applications

Hear direct from the academics what's expected of you in your university application, and the things you can do to improve your chances of getting on the course you most desire!

Certificate of completion

You'll receive a certificate of completion to evidence your learning - why not add this to your CV and university applications to show your dedication to your future pathway!

Other Subject Spotlights for University of Sunderland

Cancer, Brain Tumours & Rogue Cells: The science behind the killer disease

Computer science: is generative AI the problem or the solution?

Exploring vulnerability through a criminological lense

Influencing consumer behaviour: the power of the brand.

Injury, recovery, end-of-careers and concussion. The reality of life in sport.

Sustainable Engineering: Saving Planet Earth

The psychology of males: what's going on inside the male mind?

Visual storytelling: the magic of the movies.

What is the impact of contemporary artists in society?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a subject spotlight.

Subject Spotlights fuse education and entertainment to bring you the new way of researching your university options.

Entirely free and available on-demand, you can choose to engage with the content in the way that best suits you - whether that's in bite-sized chunks or in binge-sessions!

Why should I check out Subject Spotlights?

Get a real, representative impression of what pursuing a subject at university is actually like, so that you can make the right decision for you.

Stand out from the competition by completing a Subject Spotlight to gain the most relevant references and evidence for your personal statement.

Who is this Spotlight for?

This subject spotlight is made for students aged 16 and above, that are considering applying to University, particularly to study the subject in the title, or similar areas.

How should I talk about completing a Subject Spotlight on my UCAS application?

Completing a Subject Spotlight shows the university you're applying to that you've taken time outside of school to engage with relevant content.

The easiest way to include it would be to briefly mention one or two things you learned from it and how/why those learnings have furthered your desire to study the subject. We don't want to prescribe an answer because it's your personal statement but this is a good starting point!

Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Euthanasia — Why Euthanasia Should Be Legal: Analysis of Arguments and Counterarguments

test_template

Why Euthanasia Should Be Legal: Analysis of Arguments and Counterarguments

  • Categories: Assisted Suicide Euthanasia Right to Die

About this sample

close

Words: 1865 |

10 min read

Published: Aug 14, 2023

Words: 1865 | Pages: 4 | 10 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, why euthanasia should be legal, works cited, counterarguments.

  • Corder, Mike. “Dutch Euthanasia Center Sees 22% Rise in Requests in 2019.” WAVY.com, 7 Feb. 2020, www.wavy.com/news/health/dutch-euthanasia-center-sees-22-rise-in-requests-in-2019/. Accessed 10 March 2020.
  • Davis, Jacky. “Kevin Davis Deserved Choice.” Dignity in Dying, www.dignityindying.org.uk/story/kevin-davis/. Accessed 13 March 2020.
  • De La Torre, Esther B. The Right to Assisted Suicide , www.lonestar.edu/rightto-assist-suicide.htm. Accessed 19 March 2020.
  • “Euthanasia Laws - Information on the Law about Euthanasia.” Information on the Law about Euthanasia - Suicide, Life, Act, and Mercy - JRank Articles, law.jrank.org/pages/11858/Euthanasia.html. Accessed 10 March 2020.

Image of Dr. Oliver Johnson

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

  • 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
  • Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

author

Prof. Kifaru

Verified writer

  • Expert in: Social Issues

writer

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

6 pages / 2955 words

3 pages / 1552 words

2 pages / 684 words

1 pages / 619 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Euthanasia

Euthanasia, the act of intentionally ending a person's life to relieve their suffering, has been a topic of ethical debate for decades. This essay explores the nuanced and multifaceted arguments in favor of euthanasia, delving [...]

Euthanasia, the practice of ending the life of a suffering patient through the use of barbiturate or paralytic injections, remains a highly controversial medical procedure. While it is legal in the majority of European Union [...]

The debate surrounding euthanasia is complex and multifaceted, involving considerations of ethics, religion, personal autonomy, and the value of human life. While advocates argue that euthanasia provides relief to those [...]

Euthanasia, the act of intentionally ending a person's life to relieve pain and suffering, has been a topic of debate for decades. Whether it's voluntary, non-voluntary, or involuntary, euthanasia presents complex ethical and [...]

Battin, M. P., Rhodes, R., & Silvers, A. (2015). The Patient as Victim and Vector: Can Ethics Abandon the Ideal of the Autonomous Patient? The American Journal of Bioethics, 15(3), 3-14.Pereira, J. M. (2011). Legalizing [...]

Imagine facing a terminal illness with no hope for recovery, only prolonged suffering and pain. In such situations, the concept of euthanasia, or assisted suicide, becomes a controversial but increasingly relevant topic. [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

  • Instructions Followed To The Letter
  • Deadlines Met At Every Stage
  • Unique And Plagiarism Free

should euthanasia be legalized in the uk essay

24/7 writing help on your phone

To install StudyMoose App tap and then “Add to Home Screen”

Should Euthanasia be legalised in the UK?

Save to my list

Remove from my list

WriterBelle

Should Euthanasia be legalised in the UK?. (2016, Sep 16). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/should-euthanasia-be-legalised-in-the-uk-essay

"Should Euthanasia be legalised in the UK?." StudyMoose , 16 Sep 2016, https://studymoose.com/should-euthanasia-be-legalised-in-the-uk-essay

StudyMoose. (2016). Should Euthanasia be legalised in the UK? . [Online]. Available at: https://studymoose.com/should-euthanasia-be-legalised-in-the-uk-essay [Accessed: 24 Aug. 2024]

"Should Euthanasia be legalised in the UK?." StudyMoose, Sep 16, 2016. Accessed August 24, 2024. https://studymoose.com/should-euthanasia-be-legalised-in-the-uk-essay

"Should Euthanasia be legalised in the UK?," StudyMoose , 16-Sep-2016. [Online]. Available: https://studymoose.com/should-euthanasia-be-legalised-in-the-uk-essay. [Accessed: 24-Aug-2024]

StudyMoose. (2016). Should Euthanasia be legalised in the UK? . [Online]. Available at: https://studymoose.com/should-euthanasia-be-legalised-in-the-uk-essay [Accessed: 24-Aug-2024]

  • Euthanasia should be legalised. Agree or Disagree? Pages: 7 (1859 words)
  • Literature review- should marijuana be legalised? Pages: 5 (1381 words)
  • Should Cannabis be legalised in UK? Pages: 9 (2605 words)
  • Reasons to why Euthanasia Should be Legalized Pages: 4 (1071 words)
  • Why Euthanasia Should Be Illegal: The Ethics of the Assisted Death Pages: 8 (2378 words)
  • The Reasons Why Euthanasia Should Be Legal Pages: 4 (1113 words)
  • Argumentative Essay Against Euthanasia Pages: 3 (621 words)
  • Euthanasia: A Moral Dilemma Pages: 9 (2455 words)
  • The Problems of Euthanasia and Infanticide Pages: 5 (1495 words)
  • Justification of Euthanasia Pages: 5 (1352 words)

Should Euthanasia be legalised in the UK? essay

👋 Hi! I’m your smart assistant Amy!

Don’t know where to start? Type your requirements and I’ll connect you to an academic expert within 3 minutes.

IMAGES

  1. Should Euthanasia be legalised in the UK? Free Essay Example

    should euthanasia be legalized in the uk essay

  2. Reasons to why Euthanasia Should be Legalized Free Essay Example

    should euthanasia be legalized in the uk essay

  3. Euthanasia Should Be Legalized (400 Words)

    should euthanasia be legalized in the uk essay

  4. Euthanasia

    should euthanasia be legalized in the uk essay

  5. ⇉Should Euthanasia be Legalised in the UK? Essay Example

    should euthanasia be legalized in the uk essay

  6. ⇉Euthanasia: Should It Be Legalized? Essay Example

    should euthanasia be legalized in the uk essay

COMMENTS

  1. Should Euthanasia Be Legalised In The UK?

    All twenty subjects were for euthanasia, and said that it should be legalised in the UK, but the questionnaire (See appendix 1) brought out differing views regarding, under what circumstances it should be made legal, for example only for terminal illness. The research findings showed that there were a higher number of participants that believed ...

  2. Should assisted dying be legalised?

    In the UK, a model for assisted dying has been developed from the legal structure found within the Assisted Dying Bill introduced by Lord Falconer in the House of Lords in 2013 . Assisted dying could only be considered under circumstances in which a patient of legal age is diagnosed with a progressive disease that is irreversible by treatment ...

  3. The pros and cons of legalising euthanasia

    The UK's anti-euthanasia Care Not Killing alliance said that ... Polling for The Guardian last August found 65% of people in the UK believe it should become legal for a doctor to assist an adult ...

  4. Should Euthanasia be Legalised?

    In the Netherlands, medically practised euthanasia became lawful in November 2000. The doctor is required to believe that the patient's request was 'voluntary and well considered' and that the patient's suffering was 'lasting and unbearable.'. It is also a requirement that the doctor has consulted an independent physician.

  5. PDF Key arguments used in the debate on physician-assisted dying

    2. Physician-assisted dying is a legal option for over 150 million people around the world. In jurisdictions where it is lawful, there are eligibility criteria, safeguards and regulation in place to protect patients. 3. Guidance in the UK for end-of-life practices, such as the withdrawal of life-sustaining

  6. The right to die and assisted suicide

    The most recent of these was the Assisted Dying Bill [HL] 2014-15, introduced by Lord Falconer of Thoroton. The Bill would have enabled competent adults who are terminally ill to request assistance with ending their lives. Requests would have been subject to oversight by both medical professionals and (following amendments moved by Lord ...

  7. Top 10 Pro & Con Arguments

    1. Legalization. "The right to die should be a matter of personal choice. We are able to choose all kinds of things in life from who we marry to what kind of work we do and I think when one comes to the end of one's life, whether you have a terminal illness or whether you're elderly, you should have a choice about what happens to you….

  8. Should Euthanasia and assisted suicide be legalized in the UK

    DISSERTATION Should Euthanasia and assisted suicide be legalized in the UK? Abstract: "Euthanasia and assisted suicide are a historically complex issue which involves complex moral, and ethical principles grounded in Jurisprudence, and lies at the core of Public policy.

  9. Arguments for and against assisted suicide

    The Argu­ments For Assisted Sui­cide & Euthanasia. 1. We need it. This is 'the compassion argument'. Supporters of assisted suicide believe that allowing people to 'die with dignity' is kinder than forcing them to continue their lives with suffering. 2. We want it. This is known as 'the autonomy argument'.

  10. Should Euthanasia be Legal?

    In such a circumstance the most appropriate answer will be a big no. this again may pave a way for euthanasia to be legalized as keeping a person who wishes to die alive may be inhuman and cruel (Global Politician, web). Euthanasia in political arena has created both agreements and rivalries.

  11. What If Assisted Dying Was Legalised?

    Over the first 15 years, these reports showed a steady year-on-year increase in deaths from legalised physician-assisted suicide; by 2013 there were four and half times as many deaths as in 1998, the first year of the law's operation. Since 2013, however, there has been a marked change. In the two years 2014 and 2015 the number of deaths rose ...

  12. Euthanasia and assisted dying: what is the current position and what

    Assisted dying is a general term that incorporates both physician-assisted dying and voluntary active euthanasia.Voluntary active euthanasia includes a physician (or third person) intentionally ending a person's life normally through the administration of drugs, at that person's voluntary and competent request. 2,3 Facilitating a person's death without their prior consent incorporates ...

  13. The UK's assisted dying debate is reaching a tipping point

    In the UK, we should not wait for a change in the law on assisted dying to better fund palliative care. Care of the dying should be core NHS business, rather than being outsourced to charities.

  14. Euthanasia: should it be legalised in the UK?

    The title is: Euthanasia: should it be legalised in the UK? - a thought provoking and critical topic of discussion in the modern age. Dr Kieran Doran begins by giving an overview of what euthanasia is, the moral difficulties, and where it is currently legal. He also thinks about consent, and how the approach to euthanasia has changed from a ...

  15. Why Euthanasia Should Be Legal: Analysis of Arguments and

    This highlights the importance of considering why euthanasia should be legal in this essay. Granting patients the autonomy to make this decision would honor their right to choose how they wish to approach their final moments and put an end to their unbearable suffering.

  16. Med Essay

    Stance: it should be legalized Although there are many strong arguments against the legalization of euthanasia - this essay argues that the concerns could arguably be rebutted, or are no longer relevant in this modern society o The Times (24 January 2007) reported - according to the 2007 British Social Attitudes survey, 80% of the public ...

  17. Should Euthanasia be legalised in the UK? Free Essay Example

    However, Euthanasia is difficult to make a decision or judge that it is legal or not. This argument will give some viewpoint and some example to support the Euthanasia should be legalized in the UK. The first aspect for does Euthanasia to be legalized is 'It saves lives'. This viewpoint has been proven that it can actually save lives not to ...

  18. Euthanasia Should It Be A Legal Option Philosophy Essay

    Euthanasia Should It Be A Legal Option Philosophy Essay. "Euthanasia: The word "euthanasia" comes straight out of the Greek -- "eu", goodly or well plus "thanatos", death = the good death -- and for 18th-century writers in England that was what euthanasia meant, a "good" death, a welcome way to depart quietly and well from life" (MedicineNet.com).

  19. Euthanasia

    Should euthanasia be legalized in the UK? Google offers the following definition of what is meant by euthanasia: the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma It needs to be highlighted that euthanasia could be voluntary i. with the agreement of the person to die, or involuntary for example the killing of somebody incapable of ...