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Ironically, before Dr., Kevorkian deliberately forced the hand of prosecutors by crossing the line between advice and action, all his prior involvement in assisting terminally ill patients to end their lives precisely demonstrated many of the very ethical principles that would be crucial to the application of laws to the physician's role in the choice to end one's life (Humphry, 2002).
Kevorkian restricted his efforts in that regard to patients who were already suffering from terminal illness; he eliminated clinical depression or other medical or psychological conditions known to cause suicidal desires; he interviewed patients extensively along with their families, he reviewed their medical histories carefully to confirm diagnoses; and he very specifically documented his patients' expressed desires in writing as well as on videotape in the presence of witnesses (Humphry, 2002).
Undoubtedly, the decision to end one's life is one of the most serious decisions that any person can make, both because it is irreversible,...
On one hand, modern medical law must recognize the potential downside of advances in technology that unnecessarily cause suffering rather than alleviating it. On the other hand, because of the seriousness and finality of the decision, any laws authorizing physician-assisted suicide must be capable of ensuring against abuse, mistake, or unethical practices.
References
Abrams, N., Bruckner, M.D. (1983) Medical Ethics: A Clinical Textbook and Reference for the Health Care Professional. Massachusetts: MIT.
Humphry, D. (2002) Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying. Junction: Norris Lane Press.
Martindale, M. (10/8/07) Kevorkian: Jail Reform Is His New Cause. The Detroit News. Retrieved, November 4, 2007, from: detnews.com Web site, at www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071008/METRO/710080323/1409
Miller, a.R. (1983) Miller's Court. New York: Random House.
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