Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide: Lessons from Belgium

Description

Examining the evidence from Belgium - one of only five countries where euthanasia is practised legally - an international panel of experts considers the implications of legalised euthanasia and assisted suicide. Looking at the issue from an international perspective, the authors have written an invaluable in-depth analysis of the ethical aspects of this complex area. The discussion forms a solid foundation for informed debate about assisted dying. With contributors from a broad range of disciplines, this book is ideal for students, academics, legislators and anyone interested in legal, medical, social and philosophical ethics. A vital and timely examination of a growing phenomenon and one of the most challenging ethical questions of our time.

David Albert Jones is Director of the Anscombe Bioethics Centre, Oxford and a Research Fellow at Blackfriars Hall, Oxford. He is also a Research Fellow at St Mary's University, Twickenham. He is Vice-chair of the Ministry of Defence Research Ethics Committee. Chris Gastmans is a Professor of Medical Ethics and Director of the Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Belgium. He was a member of the Bureau of the European Association of Centres of Medical Ethics and held the positions of Secretary-General, Treasurer and President. Calum MacKellar is Director of Research at the Scottish Council on Human Bioethics, Edinburgh and a Member of the Advisory Board of the Centre for Bioethics and Emerging Technologies at St Mary's University, Twickenham.

'Overall, the book contains an interesting collection of essays. In the end, the editors have achieved their objective of providing an interdisciplinary study of the law on euthanasia in Belgium, which draws on medical, legal, and philosophical analysis and lived experiences. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the details of the Belgian law on euthanasia, and it will be of particular use for those who want to explore specific areas of the euthanasia and assisted suicide debate ... It is an interesting reading and one that may well prompt the reader to undertake research into this complicated and complex area.' Nataly Papadopoulou, Medical Law Review