Euthanasia, Death with Dignity and the Law. By Hazel Biggs. [Oxford: Hart Publishing. 2001. xvi, 174 and (Index) 5 pp. Hardback £25.00 net. ISBN 1–84113–091–5.

Abstract

The voluntary euthanasia debate in the United Kingdom has a lengthy history, and the public continues to grapple with the possible legalisation of the practice. Hazel Biggs enters into this debate with Euthanasia, Death with Dignity and the Law, a timely contribution that has as its focus the question of whether legal reform to accommodate active voluntary euthanasia is an appropriate response to a perceived need for the option of “death with dignity”. The book’s seven discrete chapters explore aspects of the overall theme of achieving dignity in dying through the mechanism of euthanasia, from the perspectives of clinicians, patients and others who are indirectly affected. Emphasis on “autonomy”, “self-determination” and “human dignity” permeates the text and underpins the author’s stated position in favour of legal reform.