Value of Life: Law, Individual Rights, and Ethical Considerations

This report explores the fundamental question of who should determine the value of human life: the law or the individual. It examines the complexities surrounding this issue, focusing on specific contexts such as abortion, assisted dying (including euthanasia), and death penalties. The report delves into the legal and ethical arguments, considering individual rights, societal values, and the roles of governments, courts, and healthcare providers. It highlights the differing perspectives on these sensitive topics, including discussions on women's rights in the context of abortion, the legality and ethical considerations of assisted dying, and the application of death penalties across various countries. The analysis also considers the impact of legal frameworks and regulations on individual autonomy and societal well-being, ultimately seeking to provide a comprehensive overview of this multifaceted debate.

Should the VALUE of life be decided by
Law or Individual

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Life is a gift given by nature to each and every person born on this universe. Each
individual have a right to live on this earth and with evolution from past so many centuries
couturiers all around the world have given certain rights to citizens of their respective nations.
These rights are related with conducting day to day activities and operations. Similarly, no one is
empowered to take life of another person including the individuals themselves in any case as
this is infringement of right to live. In the preset report a detailed discussion related with the
eligibility and aspects of individuals and law is presented in context of the value of life as who
can decide it as to death penalties, abortion and assisted dying. Arguments are presented in favor
of - assisted death and abortion shod be decided by individual.
MAIN BODY
Life:
Life can be defined as state of being which begins with birth and ends with death of a
human. The statues of a person who is able to perform basic functions including motion,
reproduction, consumption, metabolism, growth and stimulus responses to external conditions
(Viscusi, 2015). This is defined by William Blackstone as a gift from the God for which rights
are inherent by the nature in each person. With give it a magnificence law has provided with civil
rights to every citizen. Life is a state of organism which performs its natural functions and
motions or all the organs are capable of performing their functions.
What is value of life:
The value of life can be defined in context as determination of who have a right over life
of oneself and other. Is it court or individual who can decide over life and death. This is
discussed in context of death penalties, Euthanasia, assisted suicides and abortion. This is
referred as who has a rights take a life (Martela and Steger, 2016). In normal terms it can be
explained as rights empowered prevention of death under certain circumstances that is a person
with sever illness and on the verge of death or parentage lady not willing to give birth to her
child.
ABORTION:
The value of life in context of abortion is a point to be taken into pure consideration by
the government, regulator and authorities in order to mitigate the chances of risk of death of a
fetus or unborn child. The regulations made by government are consistently applicable to all
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with equal effects. The regulators formulated the measures for valuation of statistical life with
taking into considerations all human rights to protect their interest to live (Valuation of a life,
2018). The rights to the women must be given in UK to decide over the fact the weather she
wants to give to the birth to her child or not. The pregnant ladies in the UK are prohibited from
killing under the law.
Rights of women in favor of abortion, freedom of equity, abortion affect women:
Women have moral rights to decide to what to do with their bodies and are they capable
of giving and raising a child physically, mentally ans well as financially. The rights of the
abortion is vital for he for the gender inequality as still theirs are countries where girl child are
not welcome are killed after they are born. The rights must be adhered to women for fuller
achievement of their potential. Bane on the abortion puts women at the risk of forced use of
illegal abortionists. The rights of abortion should be a part of the portfolio of pregnancy rights of
the women in UK. This will enable them to make a true choice regarding the continuation or
ending of a pregnancy. Women must be treated as a person not just as a container carrying a
baby. Therefore, great consideration must be given to her rights and needs as well as those of the
unborn. Abortion is an important element of women's rights because women are more affected
by the abortion than men, both individually and as a gender. The constitution has given right to
every citizen with human rights that every human being has the rights to own their body.
Women being a human enjoys the very same right. A fetus is a part of female body so she has
full right to decided what to do with that and to abort it. A woman when not allowed to have an
abortion she is not only forced to continue the pregnancy to birth but is also expected by the
society to take care of that child though she is not mentally and financial capable of doing the
same. Women needs free access to abortion so that thy can fully achieve full potential of
political, social and economic equality with men.
In Republic of Ireland abortions are still illegal and in northern Ireland- it is considered
as against the law. The abortion is only allowed in first tel week of the pregnancy and for the
later period only when there is a risk of life to mother or cases of fetal foetal abnormalities. This
must be done by a medical practitioner and all rights of the abortion are still in the hands of
governmental authorities no human and equality rights of women are considered under the
statue and legislation.
ASSISTED DYING:
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Euthanasia- minor and patients with dementia:
The approach of determining the value of life mainly focus on wiliness to live is
determined on the risk of life or death of a person to provide right to that individual on to decide
to live or not. With evolution of times the methods and measurement for estimating the value
of life have also been changed and developed (The value of life in English law: revered but not
sacred?, 2018). In recent the value society, organizations involved in risk (Life) sectors and the
government have put forward the information on the related with development of various
methodology related with human life. Netherlands is 1st the first county to legalise euthanasia in
2002 and is among few places where it is allowed. In the UK the legislatures and regulators have
formulated rules and provisions they are supposed to decide the rules related with assisted dying
stating the fact that assisted suicide and euthanasia is still illegal in UK. The rigt must be given
to an individual as he/she wants to live or not in context of specific circumstances prevailing.
The first case of assisted dying was seen in Dutch after 16 year of its legalization to the 74 years
old Alzheimer patient who can not even remember a thing. Belgium is the only country which
authorizes Euthanasia at all ages who are severely ill or suffer significance birth defects.
Euthanasia involves controversies when it comes to person with sever mental illness such as
major depressive disorders or dementia. Relevance of euthanasia cases with a psychiatric
disorder or dementia diagnosis since implementation of the euthanasia law around the world to
legally terminated their lives to free them form the suffering and pain they a going through. The
mentally ill patients can not say and talk about the actual condition and depends totally upon
other for their care and treatments. Similarly, minor children suffering from severs diseases or
birth disorder are burden of their parents as they the child complete rely on parents and doctors
for his/her care and aid. The option of euthanasia is increasingly being considered and discussed
in a growing number of countries. Euthanasia remains however a controversial issue, especially
when it concerns people suffering from a mental illness, such as major depressive disorder or
dementia and minors. As they are not in condition to give doctors a written or verbal permission
on ending their lives. For such cases the permission can be take from the family or immediate
relative whose lives are connected with such patients.
UK law prohibits Assisted dying:
The present report is related with presenting the views and detailed discussion over who
must determine the value of life either law or individuals themselves. In this context it can be
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stated that humans have different perspective for different situation and individuals, Even,
hospitals and other health care units opt for their personally developed measures for
determination of the risk involve in fatality and financial value of risk involved. Business in
insurance, health & care often follow policies which are convenient to them. In this context
government and regulators have developed different measure to evaluate the value of life of a
person which present us with different methods. They can calculate though various methods
defined above to determined the fact the which lives are worth saving and which are not.
Sometimes those who do not have health practitioners let go much needed treatment as that can
cost them from their pockets, specially in private sectors hospitals. This phenomenon present the
condition of the ill person with facing problems to live with rules driven in the form of
legislation and statues. A doctor can not kill a patient intentionally or shorten his/her life by
undertaking any such act that accelerate death. The doctors are also prohibited for withholding or
withdrawing from treatment which same intention. The treatment of a person and assist suicide is
in the UK government and is leading all the country on path of government rationed health care
where it holds all the powers of life and death over every citizen on the contrary to the
individual. Communities develops social norms about the suffering which defines how a person
need to sacrifice in order to reduces the pain.
DEATH PENALTIES:
In many of the countries rights of determination of value of lives has been pertained to
the courts firstly in relation to giving capital punishment. In 58 countries death palatinates are
still in practice including India, China, USA, Japan and most Islamic states etc (COMMUNITY
VERSUS MARKET VALUES OF LIFE, 2018). Till today more than 170 nations have either
abolished death penalties to introduces a moratorium on its use. Applicability of the rules related
with capital punishment differs nation wise. In UK The explains the balance between the cost of
taking precautions and fall in the risk of harm.
Presenting a prominent argument:
This is clearly defined in the above discussion that value of life in this project this
ascertained as the rights of person to decides over his/her life involved in birth of a child and
determination of value of life over death. This can be clearly seen from the above discussion that
at UK laws and regulation are formed by the government and regulators restrics assited dying
and abortions for the whole society and every citizen of the nation (Pang and et.al., 2015). On the
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other hand the communities and individuals do look out the matter on how they can take rights in
their own hands reduce the risk their personal live along with determination of cost of taking
precaution for reducing such risks of their lives and death. More over the government form
policies for all engaged that is health care for not practicing adoption and euthanasia without
approvals consistent with courts. This bring a uniformity in application of the laws related with
abortion and assisted dying in UK as compared to other nation of the world.
CONCLUSION
Form the above report it can be concluded that human life involves a huge risk of death
from the day a child has been born or to be born. Death is natural phenomenon which can not be
avoided but a person must be made labile to decide on life and death in accordance with the law.
The value of life which must not be determined by legal authorities and government as well in
context of abortion and assisted dying. This leads to a concluded that courts and regulators
should only make laws in which the legal value and right of the life has been empowered to
individual as who wants to die and whether wants to give birth to a child or not.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Viscusi, W. K., 2015. 4. The heterogeneity of the value of statistical life: evidence and policy
implications1, 2. Benefit_Cost Analyses for Security Policies: Does Increased Safety
Have to Reduce Efficiency?. p.78.
Viscusi, W. K. and Gayer, T., 2015. Behavioral public choice: the behavioral paradox of
government policy. Harv. JL & Pub. Pol'y. 38. p.973.
Pang, Z and et.al., 2015. Value-centric design of the internet-of-things solution for food supply
chain: Value creation, sensor portfolio and information fusion. Information Systems
Frontiers. 17(2). pp.289-319.
Martela, F. and Steger, M. F., 2016. The three meanings of meaning in life: Distinguishing
coherence, purpose, and significance. The Journal of Positive Psychology. 11(5). pp.531-
545.
Online
The value of life in English law: revered but not sacred?. 2018. [Online]. Available
through :<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5216451/>.
Valuation of a life. 2018. [Pdf]. Available through
:<http://www.socialvalueuk.org/app/uploads/2017/08/Valuation-of-a-life.pdf>.
What is the value of life?. 2018. [Pdf]. Available through :<https://www.bristol.ac.uk/media-
library/sites/cabot/news/2017/What%20is%20the%20Value%20of%20Life.pdf>.
COMMUNITY VERSUS MARKET VALUES OF LIFE. 2018. [Pdf]. Available through
:<https://scholarship.law.berkeley.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://
www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1010&context=law_econ>.
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