The Law and Bioethics of End-of-Life Decisions

The Law and Bioethics of End-of-Life Decisions addresses the legal, ethical and philosophical issues surrounding end-of-life decisions, including assisted dying, palliative care and withdrawal of treatment. As well as including a report focusing on the European approach to the topic, a wide range of national perspectives are provided, focusing on national legal systems and their relation to international human rights law. Each report introduces the reader to the national case law and ethical considerations, such as the determination of capacity, underpinning values and moral standards.

Furthermore, the book explains the overarching principles relevant to medical and bioethical decision-making, such as respect for autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and the broad arguments common to debates on these issues, such as paternalism versus autonomy, the sanctity of life, human dignity and the influence of religion on end-of-life decisions.

The general rapporteurs draw together the different approaches to paint a broad picture of the topic, highlighting the similarities and divergences of the various national approaches.