ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the principle of double effect frontloads the subsequent case studies, which deal with very specific instances of Principle of Generic Consistency-compliant or non-compliant actions. It provides a principled starting point for the journey into the chosen case studies, a journey that veers into how religiously inspired action can have an impact upon practical medical realities that subsequently promote legal debate. The chapter addresses what double effect means in principle and demonstrates how it is applied in practice. It aims to measure its usefulness or otherwise in medical law and ethics and cites and analyses case law in respect of palliative care. The chapter addresses how judges approach the doctrine and its religious undertones. It explores whether giving credence to religious beliefs compromises the secular neutrality of the court. The chapter explains why double effect cannot be justified or used as a working principle in English medical law.
