Displaying items by tag: medical ethics

The Isle of Man is on course to become the first place in the British Isles to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill adults, as its parliament enters the final stages of debate on the legislation. If passed, the law would allow people over 18 with a prognosis of  less than twelve months to live to end their own lives under strict medical supervision. The proposal has sparked strong debate, with supporters arguing it grants dignity to those facing unbearable suffering, while opponents, including some doctors, fear it could lead to coercion and an expansion of euthanasia laws in the future. The UK, Scotland, and Jersey are also considering similar legislation, though their proposals differ in residency requirements and medical oversight. Some doctors on the Isle of Man have warned they may leave the profession if the law is enacted, while others see it as a necessary step for those suffering from painful, terminal illnesses.

Researchers claimed in the Journal of Medical Ethics that if a baby is born with a disability that was not previously detected, or if a mother is unwilling to care for the infant, it should be legal to kill the baby in a procedure called ‘after-birth abortion’. They argued that if a condition that justified abortion is only discovered after the baby’s birth then the same rule to kill the child, after birth, should apply. ‘New mums’ should be allowed to ‘abort both healthy and disabled babies once outside the womb in a quick and painless act’. They added, ‘Such circumstances include cases where the newborn has the potential to have an acceptable life, but the well-being of the family is at risk.’ These views received much criticism. In defence the journal’s editor said that similar arguments appear in academic literature by the most eminent philosophers and bioethicists in the world.