News
Assisted suicide: psychiatric assessment should be systematically provided (France)
The public debate about the legalisation of euthanasia in France is raging. Some psychiatrists published a study that reviewed the role of psychiatrists in cases of requests for assisted suicide. The study was based on 127 articles, mostly sourced from Pubmed and Cairn, dating from 1997 to 2020, involving Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg and … Read more
French council of state rejects Dignitas’ appeal on a preliminary question of constitutionality (France)
Dignitas, a Swiss organisation that promotes “the right to die with dignity”, submitted a Preliminary Question of Constitution (PQC) to the French Council of State. The aim of the PQC was to counter the ban of the euthanasia drug, pentobarbital, in France. The French Council rejected the proposal and highlighted the risk of pentobarbital to … Read more
DIY abortion measures to be dropped (England)
The English government has announced that the DIY abortion scheme, introduced due to the coronavirus epidemic, will end in August 2022. Previous abortion measures will then be reinstated which involved an in-person consultation before taking the first pill. Since the approval of DIY abortion two years ago abortion rates have reached their highest rate with … Read more
Catholic doctor to challenge abortion pill reversal ban at UK High Court (UK)
A consultant cardiologist and past president of the Catholic Medical Association (UK), Dr Kearney, is currently prohibited from providing abortion pill reversal (APR). A tribunal ruled that Dr Kearney is no longer allowed to provide treatment to women who regret taking medication to abort their unborn baby. This interim order was put in place on … Read more
Is decriminalised prostitution ANC government’s job creation plan? (South Africa)
Justice and Constitutional Development Deputy Minister, John Jeffery, released a statement indicating he has begun a series of consultative meetings to discuss the possible decriminalisation of prostitution. The statement says that the SA Law Reform Commission (SALRC) released its Report on Adult Prostitution in 2017 saying the topic needs to be further debated. However, Mr Jeffery failed to explain why … Read more
Punishment for child sex abuse and pornography toughened (Germany)
Germany’s Cabinet has approved draft legislation that will allow for tougher punishment of sexual abuse of children and the possession of child pornography. The government initiated the bill in the wake of prominent recent child abuse cases in Germany that feature large numbers of suspects. Distributing child pornography will draw a sentence of 1 to … Read more
Senator pleads for change on child pornography language (Ireland)
Politician, Senator Eileen Flynn, introduced a bill to substitute the words “child pornography” with “child sexual exploitation material” in all legislation. She claims that this more accurately reflects the nature of the abuse. The phrase “child pornography” does not truly reflect the crime or abuse. She further states that language is powerful as it shapes … Read more
South Sudan Eye Surgery Outreach
Doctors For Life arranged an eye surgery outreach in a remote region near the border of South Sudan and Sudan in January 2022. The team included two volunteer ophthalmologists, Dr Carl-Heinz Kruse and Dr Brian Church. Approximately 700 patients were screened with a total of 135 operations. Most of these surgeries were done on people … Read more
High Court to hear Dr De Vos Application against HPCSA
Media Release Embargo: Immediate release Enquiries: Doctors For Life Int. Date: 01 February 2022 Telephone: 032 481 5550 The Review Application of Dr De Vos against the Health Professions Council of South Africa is to heard on 1 February 2022 in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria. Dr De Vos is asking the High Court … Read more