District of Columbia Court of Appeals no. 87–609. And compare the famous Bouvia case, where a sane and intelligent quadraplegic woman, aged 26, able only to talk and to blink, was ordered by a U.S. Court to be force-fed against her expressed wish to be allowed to die.
2.
ibid., 2754 (11). And see commentary by Brahams, NLJ (27th May 1988) p.362.
3.
Brahams, NLJ (6th May 1983) p.417.
4.
Hansard (10th May 1983) at p.239.
5.
Letter dated 15th April 1985.
6.
e.g. OUP Medical Dictionary, Black's, Butterworth's.
7.
per Stedman's Medical Dictionary, 24th edn. (1982), with which the OUP Medical Dictionary and Black's substantially agree.
8.
It is perhaps noteworthy that in common parlance “abortion” is regarded as induced, whereas “miscarriage” is spontaneous.
9.
Supported by Brahams, NLJ (6th May 1983) p. 417.
10.
[1969] 1 Q.B. 1541.
11.
[1975] A.C. 55.
12.
[1985] A.C. 905.
13.
[1986] A.C. 455. It is submitted that the argument in favour of the interpretation of the latter two cases to support a requirement of “purpose” for mens rea is bad in principle. Hyam remains undulled.
