Pros And Cons Of Assisted Suicide

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The topic of ‘Assisted suicide’ is a very controversial and hotly debated topic. ‘Euthanasia’ generally means the bringing about of a good death - 'mercy killing,' where one person, A, ends the life of another person, B, for the sake of B in order to end pain and suffering and grant them a dignified death. There are 2 features of euthanasia that distinguish it from other forms of killing. Firstly, euthanasia involves the deliberate taking of a person's life – Secondly, the life must be taken for the sake of the person whose life it is – typically because the person is suffering from an incurable or terminal disease. There are different kinds of euthanasia. Assisted Suicide is type of euthanasia where a doctor only provides a terminally ill patient with the means of ending their life, it is the patient themselves that ultimately ends their life. There has been a recent case that dealt with an issue of euthanasia – the Stransham-Ford case. As it currently stands, assisted suicide is still a criminally offence and the perpetrator would be guilty of murder. However, this case paved the way for a more progressive approach to dealing with cases of euthanasia/assisted suicide.

Intention/motive:
The criminality of individuals’ actions should always be judges according to their intention.

Right to Dignity:
The right to dignity is one of our
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In countries where euthanasia has been legalized, there is no evidence to suggest that assisted death is out of control. On the contrary, studies have shown that palliative care has actually improved in some countries (namely Belgium and the Netherlands) . Of course, there must be provision put in place to regulate