Sanctity of life--are some lives more sacred than others?
Court decisions concerning the life and death of patients become more and more frequent in the context of medical practice. One of the most controversial decisions in this area in recent years has been the decision of the Court of Appeal in Re A (Conjoined Twins: Medical Treatment), authorising the separation of conjoined twins. This paper will argue that the decision was flawed both on legal and moral grounds and that its potential implications for future cases are more far-reaching than the judgment itself suggests.
Michalowski
Sabine
S
Department of Law, University of Essex, UK.
D003416:Criminal Law; D034723:Double Effect Principle; D004739:England; D005066:Euthanasia, Passive / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006708:Homicide; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010290:Parents; D011788:Quality of Life; D016312:Treatment Refusal; D014428:Twins, Conjoined / Q000601:surgery*; D026712:Value of Life