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R v Cox (1992) - Attempted Murder & Euthanasia: Study Guide
I. Core Principle: Actively ending a patient's life, even upon their request, constitutes murder (or attempted murder).
II. Case Summary: R v Cox (1992)
I. Core Principle: Actively ending a patient's life, even upon their request, constitutes murder (or attempted murder).
II. Case Summary: R v Cox (1992)
- Facts:
- Dr. Cox, a consultant physician, treated a 70-year-old woman with severe, painful rheumatoid arthritis.
- The patient's pain was unmanageable with analgesics.
- The patient requested Dr. Cox to end her suffering.
- Dr. Cox injected the patient with a lethal dose of potassium chloride.
- Due to the patient's uncertain life expectancy (she could have died at any time), Dr. Cox was charged with attempted murder, not murder.
- Decision: The jury found Dr. Cox guilty of attempted murder.
- Active Euthanasia is Illegal: This case definitively establishes that actively taking steps to end a patient's life, regardless of their suffering or request, is a criminal act.
- Distinction Between Murder and Attempted Murder: The charge was reduced to attempted murder due to the existing possibility of imminent natural death, highlighting the requirement to prove causation.
- Physician-Assisted Suicide: While Dr. Cox actively administered the lethal dose, criminal liability can also arise from assisting a patient in committing suicide. This is a separate, but related, legal issue.
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