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ACT Right to Life AssociationMEDIA RELEASE |
Moore’s Medical Treatment (Amendment) Bill would allow euthanasia
President of the ACT Right to Life Association, Jeremy Stuparich, today warned that Michael Moore MLA’s Medical Treatment (Amendment) Bill 1996 would have the effect of protecting health professionals who carried out euthanasia. The ACT Right to Life Association sought legal advice on the effect of the Bill after Mr Moore introduced the Bill on 28 August.
"Our legal advice has confirmed our fears that Michael Moore’s Bill will allow active euthanasia", Mr Stuparich said.
"If Mr Moore’s Bill were passed it would be almost impossible to prosecute a health professional for carrying out euthanasia - voluntary or involuntary - because the health professional involved could claim that the patient had demanded pain relief drugs at a level which proved to be fatal.
"In addition, this Bill would make it extremely difficult for health professionals involved in the care of a patient to refuse a patient’s request to administer drugs designed for pain relief - even if the health professional believed that the only purpose of the patient’s request was to cause death."
A copy of a paper giving the ACT Right to Life Association’s comments on the Medical Treatment (Amendment) Bill 1996 is attached.
Issued: 13 September 1996
Contact: Jeremy Stuparich, president of the ACT Right to Life Association.
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