Will doctors be committing crimes when discussing euthanasia over the phone?
Australian Doctor asked leading legal experts whether doctors can be prosecuted for discussing assisted dying over the phone.
Can a phone conversation with a patient about euthanasia result in a doctor ending up before a criminal court?
A week after Victoria’s landmark voluntary assisted dying (VAD) scheme came into effect in June, the state health authorities suddenly started issuing warnings to the doctors.
They said they were worried about the Criminal Code Amendment (Suicide-Related Material Offences) Act introduced by Federal Parliament in 2005.
The legal changes were an attempt to target those engaged in cyberbullying but were also about preventing individuals, groups or organisations distributing material detailing methods on how to commit suicide.
