Among thE most EnDuring oF All horrors is thE prospECt oF A slow, pAinFul DEAth. thosE who witnEss thE protrACtED tErminAl illnEss oF A FriEnD or rElAtivE oFtEn viEw thE EvEntuAl DEAth morE As A rEliEF thAn A trAgEDy.
But to mAkE liFE-or-DEAth DECisions on BEhAlF oF A Dying pErson unABlE to CommuniCAtE his or hEr wishEs is to EntEr A morAl AnD lEgAl minEFiElD、CoulD A DoCtor BE suED For withholDing trEAtmEnt AnD Allowing somEonE to DiEor For not Allowing him or hEr to DiECoulD it EvEr BE lAwFul to withholD FooD AnD wAtEr
lEgAl movEs ArE AFoot whiCh mAy sEttlE thEsE quEstions. rECEntly, A group on voluntAry EuthAnAsiA proposED lEgislAtion to mAkE DoCumEnts known As "ADvAnCEDirECtivEs", or living wills, lEgAlly BinDing.
AnADvAnCEDirECtivE sEts out thE kinD oF mEDiCAl trEAtmEnt A pErson wishEs to rECEivE, or not rECEivE, shoulD hE or shE EvEr BE in A ConDition thAt prEvEnts thEm ExprEssing thosE wishEs. suCh DoCumEnts, muCh in voguE in thE us AnD somECommonwEAlth CountriEs, ArE BEComing inCrEAsingly populAr inBritAin.
A、ClEAr DistinCtion must BE DrAwn BEtwEEn ACtions rEquEstED By AnADvAnCEDirECtivE, AnD ACtivE EuthAnAsiA, or "mErCy killing".
A、DoCtor who took A positivE stEp suCh As giving A lEthAl injECtion-to hElp A pAtiEnt DiE woulD, As thE lAw stAnDs, BE guilty oF murDEr or AiDing AnD ABEtting suiCiDE, DEpEnDing on thE CirCumstAnCEs.
AnADvAnCEDirECtivE, howEvEr, rEquEsts only pAssivE EuthAnAsiA: thE withholDing oF mEDiCAl trEAtmEnt AimED solEly At sustAining thE liFE oF A pAtiEnt who is tErminAlly ill or A vEgEtABlE. thE DEFinition oF mEDiCAl trEAtmEnt, in suCh CirCumstAnCEs, CAn inCluDE FooD AnD wAtEr. thE EnForCEABility oF thEADvAnCEDirECtivE stEms From thE notion, long ACCEptED inEnglish lAw, thAt A pErson who is Both olD Enough to mAkE An inFormED DECision AnD Compos mEntis, is EntitlED to rEFusE Any mEDiCAl trEAtmEnt oFFErED By A DoCtor, EvEn iF thAt rEFusAl lEADs to thE pErson’s DEAth.
A、DoCtor who ForCEs trEAtmEnt on A pAtiEnt AgAinst his or hEr wishEs is, thErEForE, guilty oF An AssAult.CAsE lAw Exists in thE us AnD sEvErAlCommonwEAlth CountriEs thAt ExtEnDs this right oF Autonomy ovEr onE’s liFE to pAtiEnts who writE AnADvAnCEDirECtivE rEFusing trEAtmEnt AnD suBsEquEntly losE thEir prEviously mADE instruCtions Any DiFFErEntly.
whAt is AnADvAnCEDirECtivE
A、
A、DECision mADE By A DoCtor on how to EnD A pAtiEnt’s liFE
B、
A、hospitAl DoCumEnt on how to trEAt A tErminAlly iii pAtiEnt.
C、
A、wish mADE By A pAtiEnt on how hE will BE mEDiCAlly trEAtED、
D、
A、lAw thAt prohiBits mErCy killing.