A book reveals the great impact that the OBD’s documents have had on present-day society and current - PCB

This past Friday, January 29, the Bioethics and Law Observatory of the University of Barcelona (UB) –with headquarters at the Barcelona Science Park- presented the book «Repercussion and legislative impact of the documents of the Bioethics and Law Observatory on Living Wills and Euthanasia», within the framework of the 3rd International Conference of the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics of the UB, which took place at the Barcelona Science Park under the title «UNESCO Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights, Justice, Risk and Health».

The work, developed by the Opinion Group of the Bioethics and Law Observatory, is a new edition of the «Document on Living Wills» and the «Document on the patient’s right to end his or her life under certain circumstances: declaration on euthanasia», elaborated by the Bioethics and Law Observatory in 2001 and 2003, respectively.

The book respects the original version of both documents but also includes an analysis of their repercussion at a bioethical, scientific and medical level and in present-day society, while also offering a detailed study of the great influence that these documents have had on current legislation, which encompasses the proposals and basic points established in these documents. This influence has been especially relevant in the case of the «Document on Living Wills», given that it was reproduced in a nearly literal manner by all national and local legislations that presently exist on this matter.

The work can be consulted at the OBD’s website.