Euthanasia, Ethics and Public Policy
An Argument against Legalisation

A unique, documented case against the legalisation of 'assisted dying', based mainly on empirical and logical 'slippery slope' concerns.

John Keown (Author)

9781107618336, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 18 October 2018

558 pages, 1 b/w illus. 2 tables
22.8 x 15.2 x 2.5 cm, 0.89 kg

'This second edition is a long-awaited masterpiece, following 16 years after the publication of the first edition. The discussion on end-of-life care in various countries written in this new edition will be great reference to onward discussions in Japan … This new edition, too, describes the judicial precedents, commentaries, and legislative process of each country in a careful manner. I would highly recommend reading Professor Keown's new edition to anyone including non-legal personnel.' Miki Hirano, Journal of Medical Law

This book argues against the legalisation of voluntary euthanasia and/or physician-assisted suicide on the ground that, even if they were ethically defensible in certain 'hard cases', neither could be effectively controlled by law. It maintains that the experience of legalisation in the Netherlands, Belgium and Oregon lends support to the two 'slippery slope' arguments against legalisation, the 'empirical' and the 'logical'. The empirical argument challenges the feasibility of drafting and enforcing adequate safeguards against abuse and mistake; the logical argument shows that acceptance of the case for euthanasia in the case of suffering patients who request it logically involves acceptance of euthanasia for suffering patients who are unable to request it, such as infants and those with advanced dementia.

Part I. Definitions: 1. Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide
2. Intended v. foreseen life-shortening
Part II. The Ethical Debate: Human Life, Autonomy, Legal Hypocrisy, and the 'Slippery Slope'
3. The value of human life
4. The value of autonomy
5. Legal hypocrisy?
6. The slippery slope arguments
Part III. The Dutch Experience: 7. The guidelines
8. The first survey: the incidence of 'euthanasia'
9. Breach of the guidelines
10. The slide towards NVAE
11. The second survey
12. The Dutch in denial?
13. The Euthanasia Act and the Code of Practice
14. Effective control since 2002?
15. Continuing concerns
16. A right to physician-assisted suicide by stopping eating and drinking?
17. Assisted suicide for the elderly with 'completed lives'
Part IV. Belgium: 18. The Belgian Legislation
19. The lack of effective control
Part V. Australia: 20. The Northern Territory: ROTTI
Part VI. The United States: 21. The United States: Oregon and six other jurisdictions
22. The US Supreme Court: Glucksberg and Vacco
Part VII. Canada: 23. The Supreme Court of Canada: the Carter case
24. Canada's euthanasia legislation
25. Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Geriatric medicine [MJX], Medical sociology [MBS], Medical ethics & professional conduct [MBDC], Medical & healthcare law [LNTM]