Comparative Analysis of Laws: Abortion, Death Penalty, Assisted Dying

This report provides a summary of the laws pertaining to abortion, the death penalty, and assisted dying. It highlights that abortion is legal under the Abortion Act 1967, as amended by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, with specific conditions. The death penalty was abolished by the Murder Act 1965, replacing it with life imprisonment. Furthermore, the report mentions that assisting suicide is illegal under the Suicide Act 1961 and touches upon the ongoing debate regarding legalizing assisted dying, with calls for its consideration for terminally ill patients. The report references key legislation and provides a concise overview of the current legal positions.

Summarise the laws relating to
abortion, the death penalty and
assisted dying?

Table of Contents
Summarise the laws relating to abortion, the death penalty and assisted dying? ......................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................4

Summarise the laws relating to abortion, the death penalty and assisted dying?
Abortion is considered legal based on Abortion Act 1967, in England and Wales and
Scotland. It has been discovered that abortion remains unlawful in Britain unless the terms of the
Abortion Act are achieved. Basically Abortion is a medical termination of a pregnancy and
presently UK abortion law was clearly defined in the 1967 Abortion Act which remains the
governing regulation. Therefore, the Abortion Act 1967 as amended by the Human Fertilisation
and Embryology Act 1990, states that an abortion is legal if it is done through a registered
medical practitioner, & it is authorised by 2 doctors, performing in good faith (Austin and
Harper, 2018).
The murder or death penalty Act 1965 is an act that was established by parliament of the
UK. Further, it was discovered that the act replaced the penalty of death with a mandatory
sentence of imprisonment for life. Charges of capital murder are provided by this act, at the time
it was passed were to be treated as charges of simple murder & all sentences of death were to be
commuted to sentence of life imprisonment (MacDougall and Williams, 2017).
In England and Wales it is considered illegal , under the Suicide Act 1961, to assist or
encourages another person to take their own life. In addition, it was discovered that now it time
for UK to legalise some of assisted dying and it is time to provide people who are suffering and
not just those who are terminally ill (Wilson, Oliver and Malpas, 2018).

REFERENCES
Austin, N. and Harper, S., 2018. Assessing the impact of TRAP laws on abortion and women’s
health in the USA: a systematic review. BMJ Sex Reprod Health. 44(2). pp.128-134.
MacDougall, M. J. and Williams, K. D., 2017. The Federal Death Penalty Scheme Is Not a
Model for State Reform of Capital Punishment Laws. Am. UL Rev.. 67. p.1647.
Wilson, M., Oliver, P. and Malpas, P., 2018. Nurses’ views on legalising assisted dying in New
Zealand: A cross-sectional study. International journal of nursing studies.