School of Law and Social Sciences

End-of-life decision-making: balancing rights and views on assisted dying

girl on a mountain looking at the sun rise

Upholding individual autonomy and respecting individual decisions is key in medico-legal decision-making.

Award

MRes | MPhil | PhD | MSc by Research

Start Date

Usually February and October - at individual School's discretion

Research Opportunities

Summary

However, an increasingly polarised debate has developed around assisted dying. Disagreements arise between those who would reject all legislative moves to allow assisted dying and focus instead on improving the provision of excellent quality palliative care, and those seeking to uphold the decisions of individuals to exercise relevant legal provisions allowing them an assisted death.

There is a need for further research here in identifying the underpinning values which are in play, investigating the social norms involved and the extent to which society can, or wishes to value both, and seeking to find the acceptable line which the law can tread in legislating in this area, particularly for jurisdictions which have not yet trod this path, or where reform is in view.