In a previous post, I gave some details of a project at the QUT Law Faculty – Rethinking Life-Sustaining Measures. I’ve been contacted by one of the project leaders, Dr Ben White, and he’s advised that readers wishing to have their feedback incorporated into the consultative process should contact the project leaders directly. For ethical reasons, the project leaders can only incorporate direct feedback. Email addresses are available through the link above. I’d still be interested in reading further comments on this or the earlier thread, if people are keen to discuss the issues.
Readers might also be interested in a post by Ken Parish at Troppo on euthanasia, which illustrates some of the practical as well as philosophical issues that are raised by severe illness and decision-making. Ken writes:
I wonder whether Australia will deal with this situation more maturely than the Americans managed. It wouldn’t be difficult. I reckon it’s time for State governments, starting with Victoria, to revisit the question of comprehensive euthanasia legislation. That could at least mean that future Maria Korps or Terri Schiavos could be given a quick, painless and completely open lethal injection instead of being left to die slowly, or given a sly overdose that “accidentally” kills under the morally dubious “double effect” doctrine with which the AMA apparently feels entirely comfortable.
