Legal ruling

Frank the tank
Frank the tank Posts: 6,553
edited August 2012 in The cake stop
To not exempt anyone who may help the gentleman with "locked in syndrome" end his life from murder charges.

It's a very tough call, but in this case I think an exception could be made. A dog wouldn't be allowed to endure sutch a fate. It would be considered inhumane,yet, it's not inhumane to let a human suffer in sutch a way. :?
Tail end Charlie

The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.

Comments

  • daviesee
    daviesee Posts: 6,386
    Madness. :cry:
    None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.
  • TommyEss
    TommyEss Posts: 1,855
    Aye, it's a pretty awful situation, but there's an awful lot to consider - none of it is black and white.

    To state my opinion - I believe if there's a clear desire from the person who is choosing to die, and there is a clear medical barrier to that person carrying out their own demise, and it is reviewed by a number of medical staff and lawyers (arbitrary number - 3 docs and a lawyer - not the point) then yes, it should be possible for what we'll term "assisted euthanasia".

    However - that above should hopefully avoid the situation where a family tries to benefit from the death of someone who cannot clearly express their desires - the fear that it will be used for nefarious gains by people with the power of attorney is not too far-fetched at all - the main issue it brings up is doctors and the hippocratic oath.

    Doctors aren't vets, and people aren't pets - there is a big difference. I don't think anyone's trying to say this man should suffer - I don't think he should have to suffer any more at all - but there is a big difference between doctors deciding to withhold fluids and let a patient on life support "drift away" (passive - withholding treatment) than there is actively seeking to end someone's life.

    I still don't agree with it - I'm just trying to play devil's advocate.

    I'm neither a doctor nor a lawyer - but I know my family have all discussed "one way tickets" to Switzerland should we find ourselves in a similar situation. Much like donor cards - it's important to discuss that kind of thing with your loved ones before it becomes a real decision.
    Cannondale Synapse 105, Giant Defy 3, Giant Omnium, Giant Trance X2, EMC R1.0, Ridgeback Platinum, On One Il Pompino...
  • Frank the tank
    Frank the tank Posts: 6,553
    I just hope some way somehow he gets his wish, as having to die of thirst/starvation would be the worst possible way to end it.

    On the news tonight there was a contributer who was in favour of euthanasia in cases where a patient is dying. However, this gentleman isn't dying!

    No he isn't IMHO his situation is a lot worse he's condemned to a living hell.

    Oh please, let good sense prevail.
    Tail end Charlie

    The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.
  • Wirral_paul
    Wirral_paul Posts: 2,476
    Frank the tank wrote:

    Oh please, let good sense prevail.

    100% with you on that one Frank - surely there cant be anything worse for a person with a perfectly functioning mind but a body that is useless. That judge today just gave an innocent man a life sentence worse than any murderer!! :cry:
  • Cleat Eastwood
    Cleat Eastwood Posts: 7,508
    whats odd is if you go into hospital as a pensioner they'll see you off soon as look at you. You go in with cancer and its an unspoken rule that your days will end sooner rather than later if theres a chance of sufferring - maybe he'd be better going into hospital under the guise of a 70 year old with a terminal illness.
    The dissenter is every human being at those moments of his life when he resigns
    momentarily from the herd and thinks for himself.
  • dw300
    dw300 Posts: 1,642
    Frank the tank wrote:
    On the news tonight there was a contributer who was in favour of euthanasia in cases where a patient is dying. However, this gentleman isn't dying!

    Really? Medical science should find his secret, because I'm pretty sure we're all dying ..
    All the above is just advice .. you can do whatever the f*ck you wana do!
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  • tim_wand
    tim_wand Posts: 2,552
    His Daughter was interviewed on 5 live, stating that his legal team would appeal but if that was not successful that he would be left with no choice but to starve himself to death, What a god damn awful situation.

    I regretfully lost my Mum and Dad within ten days of one another in the same hospital to cancer in 2010, as both were listed as one another's next of Kin and both had made living wills, the decision to resuscitate or not was taken from us.

    In some ways I was glad as it would have been an awful decision, I cannot imagine what this poor man and his family is going through, but as previous posters have added , if you can decline resuscitation why can't you choose death if of sound mind and your quality of life is this low?
  • Frank the tank
    Frank the tank Posts: 6,553
    dw300 wrote:
    Frank the tank wrote:
    On the news tonight there was a contributer who was in favour of euthanasia in cases where a patient is dying. However, this gentleman isn't dying!

    Really? Medical science should find his secret, because I'm pretty sure we're all dying ..

    Pedant!
    Tail end Charlie

    The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.
  • random man
    random man Posts: 1,518
    You can't help but feel for the poor guy - no-one should have to suffer the indignity that he's having to. At the same time, no-one has the right to play God.
    It's a truly horrible situation for him and his family but could anyone live with themselves if they were to assist in his death?
  • daviesee
    daviesee Posts: 6,386
    random man wrote:
    You can't help but feel for the poor guy - no-one should have to suffer the indignity that he's having to. At the same time, no-one has the right to play God.
    It's a truly horrible situation for him and his family but could anyone live with themselves if they were to assist in his death?
    I would think that his family could.
    Our family have already had this discussion. Time will tell, but I would like to think that I could arrange what my Mother wants when the time comes.
    None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.
  • verylonglegs
    verylonglegs Posts: 4,023
    random man wrote:
    You can't help but feel for the poor guy - no-one should have to suffer the indignity that he's having to. At the same time, no-one has the right to play God.
    It's a truly horrible situation for him and his family but could anyone live with themselves if they were to assist in his death?

    You could only be accused of playing God if you believe he exists, what about atheists?

    I empathise with the argument that the law is as it is in order to protect the vulnerable but it also may cause people with degenerative illnesses to take action themselves and cutting their lives unecessarily short before they fall into totally dependent care in order to avoid such a 'sentence' of suffering.
  • Frank the tank
    Frank the tank Posts: 6,553
    random man wrote:
    You can't help but feel for the poor guy - no-one should have to suffer the indignity that he's having to. At the same time, no-one has the right to play God.
    It's a truly horrible situation for him and his family but could anyone live with themselves if they were to assist in his death?

    His daughter was on newsnight last night and she said neither her mother/siblings could/would do the "deed".

    If someone were prepared to do it would it need them to be found guilty by a jury?

    As if I was sat on a jury and directed by the judge to find the (let's say Dr) guilty I just couldn't bring myself to do so.
    Tail end Charlie

    The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.
  • TommyEss
    TommyEss Posts: 1,855
    If he died outside a hospital then the police would have to be informed. They would then be arrested, and if the CPS decided it was in the public interest to prosecute, they would, if not, they wouldn't. I suspect that given the interest in this man's plight, the CPS would decide to prosecute. The judge would direct the jury on the verdict - I would imagine it very hard for him to recommend a verdict that goes against the highest court in the land... Not sure what happens if the whole jury returns a verdict of not-guilty but the judge thinks differently?
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  • Wirral_paul
    Wirral_paul Posts: 2,476
    TommyEss wrote:
    The judge would direct the jury on the verdict - I would imagine it very hard for him to recommend a verdict that goes against the highest court in the land... Not sure what happens if the whole jury returns a verdict of not-guilty but the judge thinks differently?

    The judge can direct the jury, but the jury aren't then obliged to follow this direction.
  • Kendal Black Drop
    Kendal Black Drop Posts: 638
    Wirral_Paul wrote:
    The judge can direct the jury, but the jury aren't then obliged to follow this direction.

    See Bushel's Case which came about after The Trial of William Penn and William Mead.
    William Mead is a distant relative of mine.

    I do feel very sorry for the gentleman and his family.
  • Wirral_paul
    Wirral_paul Posts: 2,476
    Kendal Black Drop wrote:
    Wirral_Paul wrote:
    The judge can direct the jury, but the jury aren't then obliged to follow this direction.

    See Bushel's Case which came about after The Trial of William Penn and William Mead.
    William Mead is a distant relative of mine.

    I do feel very sorry for the gentleman and his family.

    A more recent case is that of Clive Ponting who leaked details of the sinking of the Argie Ship General Belgrano which was sunk when returning to Argentina during the Falklands war.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/216868.stm

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