ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the ethical aspects of death. It examines the issues surrounding General Practitioners’ involvement in the care of dying patients, with attention to the moral problems. It might also be observed that the moral principle of Doctrine of Double Effect (DDE) risked being circumnavigated by the lack of evidence; in the event, Dr Cox broke the law as evidenced by his conviction as well as the moral principle of the DDE. The ethical principle known as the DDE looks more closely at the intention involved, rather than focusing on the actions or inactions of a doctor, to determine ethical permissibility. Even though the DDE is criticised widely by philosophers on theoretical grounds, the underlying principle governs much of the thinking of doctors and other professionals in clinical practice. The nihilist might aver that all human action is ultimately futile, a notion with which few of us would agree, the doctor least of all.
