Titel: European Perspectives on End of Life Decision Making

Termin: 14.9.2005, 9:30 Uhr, bis 15.9.2005, 17:15 Uhr

Veranstaltungsort:
Liverpool Law School
University of Liverpoo

Weitere Informationen:
http://www.imlab.ac.uk/endoflife.htm

Kurzbeschreibung: This symposium will consider that report and will assess the safeguards built into the Bill, comparing them to those found in the Dutch Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide (Review Procedures) Act 2001 and the Belgian Law Relating to Euthanasia 2002.

The symposium will also consider end of life decisions other than active voluntary euthanasia, typically non-treatment decisions particularly in those cases where the patient is no longer competent. Case law confirms that the best interests model of decision-making is concerned not only with the physical well-being of the patient, but extends to psychological, moral, ethical and social interests (Re SL (adult patient: medical treatment)). The opacity of the best interests test means, however, that it is susceptible to manipulation. First, there is the risk that the values of the decision-maker will prevail over those of the patient (if indeed these are known) and that this will lead to decision making which is typically paternalistic. Second, references to the wider interests of the patient are capable of masking the advancement of third party interests and of resource-based institutional agendas. This approach seems contrary to the spirit of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 which emphasises the promotion of self-determination for adults who lack capacity. It enables anticipatory treatment decisions to be made in advance of the onset of incapacity and the appointment of proxy decision-makers to make decisions on behalf of incapacitated patients. Of course, neither anticipatory decisions nor proxy decision-makers are complete solutions in themselves. Anticipatory decisions are non-contemporaneous and may be challenged as being insufficiently informed. Their drafting may be ambiguous. Proxy decision-makers may not be immune to conflicts of interest or alternatively their decisions may simply reflect their values and beliefs rather than those of the patient whose autonomy is supposed to be extended.

This symposium will bring together a wide range of participants, both from the UK and abroad, and will be truly multidisciplinary, bringing together professional, public and popular discourses on aspects of end of life decision-making.

Kontakt: Mrs. Kayte Kelley
Institute of Medicine, Law & Bioethics
Liverpool Law School
University of Liverpool
Liverpool L69 7ZS
United Kindom

Tel.: +44 - (0)151 - 7 94 28 15
Fax: +44 - (0)151 - 7 94 28 29

Imlab@liv.ac.uk

Veranstalter: Institute of Medicine, Law & Bioethics at the University of Liverpool

Schlagworte: Lebensende