The Limits of Autonomy: Law at the End of Life in England and Wales

This chapter describes the law governing end-of-life decision-making in England and Wales. In relation to competent adults, the law seeks to protect their autonomy to make their own medical decisions. Euthanasia constitutes murder under English law. An individual convicted of murder faces a mandatory life sentence, although it is for the trial judge to set the minimum period which the defendant must serve before becoming eligible for parole. The report recommendes a number of considerations which should be taken into account by the drafters of any future bill to legalise assisted dying. These include requiring a psychiatric assessment so that those sufffering from psychological or psychiatric disorder can be screened out, and using 'unrelievable' or 'intractable' sufffering or distress as a criterion rather than 'unbearable' sufffering; ensuring real access to palliative care. Keywords:competent adults; end-of-life care; England; Euthanasia; palliative care; Wales