58 Academics From University Of Malta Support Legalising Assisted Voluntary Euthanasia
A group of academics from the University of Malta have released a position paper supporting the legalisation of Assisted Voluntary Euthanasia (AVE) in Malta.
“Mentally competent adults with terminal or incurable illnesses should be able to make their own end-of-life decisions,” reads the statement made by the academics.
The public consultation period on AVE ends today and the paper put forward by the academics advocates for a carefully regulated AVE law to uphold both individual rights and public safety. The statement went on to say how AVE offers a compassionate alternative for patients whose suffering cannot be relived by even the best palliative care.
Their position paper also stresses the need to respect Malta’s diverse beliefs, allowing those who object to AVE to abstain, while not imposing a single moral viewpoint on everyone. Healthcare providers, they add, would retain the right to conscientious objection.
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Addressing common concerns, the authors point to evidence from other countries showing that AVE is not disproportionately accessed by vulnerable groups, and that in some instances palliative care services have improved where AVE has been introduced.
They also note that expansions of eligibility in other countries have only happened through transparent, democratic processes, and that there is no proven link between AVE laws and an increase in non-assisted suicide rates.
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