Who decides when it is time to die?
As Quebec debates euthanasia, we ask if people should have a choice over the timing and manner of their death.
A bill being considered in the Canadian province of Quebec is stirring debate over the right to die with dignity. The proposed law would allow terminally-ill people to choose whether to ask their doctor to help them kill themselves.
Various forms of assisted suicide and euthanasia already exist in some countries. Opponents say it is a doctor’s job to keep people alive, and advances in care can reduce suffering.
On Inside Story: Who decides when it is time to die? And should people have a choice over the timing and manner of their death?
PRESENTER: Shiulie Ghosh
GUESTS:
Jo Cartwright – Campaign for Dignity in Dying
Margaret Somerville – founding director of the Centre for Medicine, Ethics and Law
Sabine Michalowski – professor of law, University of Essex