Assisted Death: The Risks and Benefits of Tribunal Approval.

Abstract

Should every request for physician-assisted death require approval from some kind of independent tribunal? The benefits include consistent interpretation of statutory or judge-created guidelines from hospital to hospital, accurate reporting of assisted deaths, a process that protects vulnerable patients and health practitioners, and assurance to the public that the process has sufficient safeguards. On the other hand, such a process might cause delays for persons suffering intolerably. Accessibility might be a problem, and there is the risk that the patient's personal health information becomes fodder for media sensationalism. The author weighs these risks and benefits and concludes that a tribunal approval process is a transparent system capable of helping the law clearly gel in a way that provides guidelines, encourages trust in the healthcare process generally and the assisted death process specifically. I