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The following article is from the SAVES newsletter, The
VE Bulletin, Vol 15 No 1, Mar 98
Philip Nitschke News
The Council of Australian Humanist Societies are holding their 33rd
Annual Convention in Adelaide from 3 to 5 April 1998. The Convention
Dinner is to be held on Saturday 4 April at the Wakefield Tavern, Wakefield
St, Adelaide, arrival time 7.00 for 7.30pm. Dr Philip Nitschke is to be
guest of honour and after dinner speaker. The cost per person is $25 and
you may book by sending your cheque to:
The Convention Treasurer
GPO Box 177 Adelaide 5001
A "Hypothetical" is being planned for Sunday afternoon, 5 April, on
the topic "Matters of Life and Death". Please contact Tom Goodwin, ph.
8352 1636, nearer the time for more details.
TV Documentary: Advice has been received that "Where Angels
Fear to Tread" is to be shown on the Channel 2 Inside Story series
at 8.30 pm on Tuesday 24 February. The documentary traces the highs and
lows of Philip Nitschke's struggle to help his patients against the volatile
background of the doomed Rights of the Terminally Ill Act.
NEW SAVES PAMPHLET
Christian Support for Voluntary Euthanasia
It is well known that certain Christian churches are officially opposed
to legalising voluntary euthanasia. Intentional or not, their public statements
backed by supportive media comments, have created the false impression
that voluntary euthanasia and Christianity are mutually exclusive. In fact,
there is no majority support for this view among church adherents, and
a considerable diversity of opinion among leading theologians. A recent
article (*) by the Rev Dr Andrew Dutney of the School of Theology at Flinders
University sets the record straight. The article has been summarised in
the latest SAVES pamphlet, available from the Hon. Secretary on request
accompanied by stamped self-addressed business envelope (double folded
A4 size). It is also available on the internet at:
http://www.saves.asn.au/support.php
* Christian support for voluntary euthanasia. Monash Bioethics Review.
16,2:15-22. April 1997
Developments in the ACT
The (Andrews) Euthanasia Laws Act prohibits an Australian Territory
from legalising voluntary euthanasia. This has created concerns as to whether
doctors who withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment (sometimes referred
to as "passive euthanasia") under the ACT's Medical Treatment Act might
be vulnerable to prosecution. Consequently, the ACT Attorney-General recently
directed the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions not to prosecute doctors
in that event.
The ACT Branch of the NSW VES points out that this opens the door to
a similar direction in regard to "active" voluntary euthanasia. The situation
would then be that active voluntary euthanasia was illegal (because of
the Andrews Act) but doctors would not be prosecuted. This way round the
Andrews Act in the ACT (or the NT) would create a situation there similar
to that in the Netherlands.
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