Doctors often overestimate the time a patient has left to live. In the case of Victoria’s assisted dying bill, an optimistic prediction could deny the patient the peaceful death they deserve.
Articles on Euthanasia
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The NSW bill leaves significant questions unanswered, disquieting ethicists, lawyers and doctors.
The main arguments used by those who voted against assisted dying – including that the bill has insufficient safeguards – in Victoria’s upper house, deserve further scrutiny.
Whether politicians refer to ‘assisted dying’, ‘assisted suicide’ or ‘euthanasia’ tells us a lot about how they feel about the issue, and the emotional response they aim to convey.
There are several ‘gendered risks’ in assisted suicide that challenge the idea that women will always be acting autonomously.
The drug we know induces the best death for suffering patients is still illegal in Australia.
The assisted dying bill in Victoria – complex and significant – is engendering less heated debate than marriage equality although both tap into some of our most fundamental fears and motivations.
More than 2,000 Canadians have chosen medical assistance in dying (MAID) since legalization in 2016. But palliative care doctors aren’t embracing assisted suicide as part of their job.
Polls show a clear majority support assisted dying in Britain – but it depends on how the question is asked.
For centuries, in Western societies, ‘euthanasia’ referred to a pious death, blessed by God. The pain that could accompany dying was seen as ultimately redemptive.
There is now a reputable body of research evidence from places that have introduced assisted dying, and MPs must examine that evidence before deciding how they will vote.
Christianity’s long tradition of compassionate care for both the dying and the dead means it brings some wisdom and experience to the voluntary assisted dying issue.
Public opinion, shifting views in the health profession and international trends allowing assisted dying mean it will be lawful in Australia at some point. But will it be lawful in Victoria soon?
Imagine this situation: a person has no medical illness but wishes to end his or her life purely because he or she no longer wishes to live. Should they be eligible for euthanasia or assisted suicide?
During a discussion on Q&A, author Nikki Gemmell said 80% of Australians and up to 70% of Catholics and Anglicans support euthanasia laws. Is that right?
People are right to be skeptical when it comes to many slippery slope arguments used by those against euthanasia. But some of them are valid and shouldn’t be dismissed as ‘bullshit’.
An assisted-dying law in the UK is long overdue.
There is a growing body of evidence available on how many people are using euthanasia and assisted dying laws in places where it is legal.
A Victorian legal precedent of how Nembutal can be used during palliative care provides more options for doctors to help their dying patients.
Health spent a lot of time in the spotlight in 2016. Medicare was a major issue in Australia’s federal election and numerous government reviews into health were announced and reported.
Top contributors
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Distinguished Professor, Professor of End-of-Life Law and Regulation, Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Queensland University of Technology
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Professor of Law, Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Queensland University of Technology
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Associate professor, Queensland University of Technology
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Senior Lecturer in Law, Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Queensland University of Technology
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Professor of Medicine, Monash University
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Research Fellow, Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Queensland University of Technology
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Associate Research Fellow, Deakin University
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Senior Specialist in Intensive Care and Head of Clinical Unit in Ethics and Health Law, University of Newcastle
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Emeritus professor, Southern Cross University
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Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
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Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto
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Professor of Healthcare and Medical Law, Glasgow Caledonian University
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Associate professor, Australian Catholic University
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Lecturer in Health Law & Bioethics, University of Sydney
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Associate Professor of Law, Monash University