Dr. Thomas Finegan:

When I said in my opening statement that, tellingly, no affirmations of restrictions had been made, I had in mind witnesses who have come before the committee and made a pro-euthanasia case.

The Senator raised the issue of will, autonomy or agency as a basis for life. I do not think any of those considerations can be the basis for the intrinsic value of human life, as understood by, for example, human rights documents because one could have a will and choose to think of oneself as not having value. That happens.

This is a very significant societal problem. Because that is so contingent, it cannot be the basis. Even if someone thinks that their life does not have value, they are tragically mistaken. They do have value. They have intrinsic, equal and inviolable value in their life and that is the basis of law for 2,000 years, and beyond.

If that is also the basis, the idea of them having will or agency means that those who, for example, are very young or have lost capacity, would be excluded from having human worth and having human rights protection.

From the point of view of healthcare protection, it makes no sense to focus so much on the idea of will and autonomy. Healthcare is about valuing body, health and life. It is a particularly pernicious idea to be incorporated into the healthcare system, aside from its general wrongness.