Interviews with Dr Pieter Admiraal, Dr Andrew Fergusson, Dr Jim Howe, Sir Ludovic Kennedy, Dr Philip Nitschke, Melanie Phillips, Dame Cicely Saunders, Lord Walton, Baroness Warnock and Cardinal Winning.
The debate surrounding the practice of euthanasia has intensified in the last decade. The advances in healthcare technology mean that people are living longer, surviving conditions which until recently resulted in certain death. At the same time there is a significant group of people who feel that life, unless it is "quality" life, is not worth living: they argue that those who want to die should be able to opt for euthanasia.
Australia and the United States are seriously considering legalising euthanasia, while doctors have been practising euthanasia in the Netherlands since the 1980s. In Britain there have been a series of high-profile court cases, notably that of Tony Bland, Dr Nigel Cox and Annie Lindsell. Future decisions will be of paramount importance.
Ten well-known people who are helping to shape the debate have been interviewed for this book. From Sir Ludovic Kennedy, President of the Voluntary Euthanasia Society, to Dame Cicely Saunders, founder of the hospice movement, they give their views on such controversial issues as the law of double effect and living wills with remarkable honesty. This book is vital for anyone who wishes to understand what the main issues are and a fascinating insight into some of the personalities involved.
