Wednesday 1 February 2017 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Faculty of Law, B16
About
Dr Barend van Leeuwen (University of Groningen) will give a CELS lunchtime seminar on: "Free Movement of Life and Death: Euthanasia and the Ethics of Free Movement Law".
This presentation will make a link between medical ethics and the EU internal market. Member States have made ethical choices that have a direct impact on the delivery of healthcare services. Abortion is prohibited in Ireland, while it is lawful in England. Dutch patients can travel to Germany for a total body scan, which is prohibited in the Netherlands.
Free movement law makes it possible for patients to make their own choices about their preferred medical treatment. But what happens if a Member State prevents its citizens from making autonomous choices? Euthanasia is a good example. If English patients travel to the Netherlands with their family to receive euthanasia, the family members could be prosecuted on their return to England.
Legal challenges to the English legislation on euthanasia have primarily been based on human rights arguments. The aim of this presentation is to analyse to what extent the free movement provisions can be used as a tool to challenge national legislation on euthanasia and how courts should deal with such challenges.
The talk will take place at 1:05pm – 1:55pm in lecture room B16, Faculty of Law.
A sandwich lunch is provided at 12:45pm.
There is no charge for lunch or to attend the seminar.
Enquiries to: cels@law.cam.ac.uk