News,
The Dutch parliament's lower house voted yesterday to legalise euthanasia. The Bill was passed by 104 votes to 40 and, with senate approval considered a formality, it is expected that the legislation will come into force next year. At present euthanasia is tolerated in Holland, but is in theory illegal. Officially the new law will only allow euthanasia after ascertaining that the patient who wants to put an end to his life is enduring "unbearable sufferings" caused by a terminal, medically diagnosed illness. The Bill permits minors above the age of 16 to choose euthanasia without gaining parental consent and requires children aged 12-16 to have the consent of at least one parent. [Pro-Life Infonet;
Metro 29 November]
A hospital may be in legal trouble after failing to seek a judicial review before placing a "do not resuscitate" order in the medical notes of a five month old baby. The parents of Sunaina Chaudhari complained that King George Hospital in Goodmayes, Essex, chose to allow her to die and the police have been called in to investigate the death. While in the womb, Sunaina was diagnosed as suffering from Edwards' syndrome and the doctors advised termination. The mother, Mrs Chaudhari, however, said, "We were not having that. It is a life, as far as we were concerned." [
The Times, 27 November]
Dr Jane Logan, a London GP has won the title of Doctor of the Year, awarded by
Doctor, a newspaper for GPs, for beginning a screening programme for sickle cell anaemia. The programme, however, aims to eliminate babies conceived with the disease. [BBC News online, 23 November]
The results of the Canadian election has left the representation of pro-life MPs substantially unaltered, leading Jim Hughes, president of the Campaign for Life Coalition, to call upon both party leaders to discuss the issue in Parliament. He claimed that all Canadians wanted to know where the parties and their candidates stood on the topic and were not convinced by attempts to hide personal views by appealing to a referendum. Mr Hughes stated that, "the lessons of the campaign should send a clear message to the party leaders from the millions of pro-life voters who cast ballots." [LifeSite Daily News, 28 November]
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