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Just When You Thought the Euthanasia Debate Had Died

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Abstract

The death by assisted suicide in Switzerland of Australian Dr. John Elliott, in early 2007 has highlighted the inadequacy of the law pertaining to medical decisions at end-of-life, both from a legal as well as ethical perspective. Despite being illegal in most jurisdictions around the world, physician-assisted death is a reality, in part because of the flexibility, inconsistent application and, at times, invisibility, of laws surrounding it. The appropriate response to this should be greater transparency by a reform of the law.

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Acknowledgements

The author thanks Prof. Bernadette McSherry, Faculty of Law, Monash University, for her review and comments on a prior draft of this article.

Competing Interests

None declared.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 16 Palm Avenue, North Caulfield, 3161, Melbourne, Australia

    Alan Rothschild

  2. Faculty of Law, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

    Alan Rothschild

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Correspondence to Alan Rothschild.

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Rothschild, A. Just When You Thought the Euthanasia Debate Had Died. Bioethical Inquiry 5, 69–78 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-008-9084-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-008-9084-7

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