License to Kill: A New Model for Excusing Medically Assisted Dying?

Chapter
First Online:
Part of the International Library of Ethics, Law, and the New Medicine book series (LIME, volume 64)

Abstract

In this chapter, we seek to offer a fresh perspective on whether or not doctors should be “licensed to kill”. As that phrase indicates, we metaphorically refer to the adventures of fictional spy James Bond, although we hope, in doing so, that readers will not think that we are belittling the serious topic with which the chapter is concerned. Having surveyed some of the familiar arguments for and against allowing medically-assisted dying, we advance a new proposal, which seeks to strike a compromise between such arguments. Our exploratory model builds on an analogy with armed response police units as they operate in England, and specifically with situations in which such officers are found to have killed someone in the course of their duties. Rather than confer immunity prospectively (as proponents of assisted dying often seek) or deny immunity completely (as opponents insist), our policy would provide a potential retrospective excuse. 

Keywords

Slippery Slope Criminal Sanction Assisted Suicide Autonomous Choice Voluntary Form 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Centre for Ethics in MedicineUniversity of BristolBristolUK
  2. 2.Medicine, Ethics, Society and History (MESH)University of BirminghamBirminghamUK

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