Living and Working in Ireland legal fictions, in order to accommodate humane end-of-life practices as long as the prohibition on euthanasia remains a legal reality.29 End of life decision making raises issues of patient consent, autonomy, dignity, and quality of life. There remains huge unanswered legal, medical, and ethical questions that the courts did not avert, and it is only a matter of time before medical professionals and/or family members of patients appear before the courts with further queries.30 Over two decades have passed since Re Ward of Court came before the Supreme Court, and the call for clarity from the Oireachtas remains largely unmet.31 While we might not yet be ready to enact an assisted dying bill in Ireland, there is an obvious need for legislation to clarify the current state of the law. A holistic discussion, engaging all key stakeholders, is required when drafting this legislation to ensure that the standard of end of life patient care is not eroded. The law should provide clear guidance on decision making for palliative care, and clarity to families during what is already a deeply upsetting time.
29
Keyes (n 12). Cusack (n 14). 31 Gaffney (n 8). 30
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