Psychiatrists have a special interest in the issue of euthanasia which goes beyond their membership of the medical profession. At a practical level, at the very least, we may be asked to make important and literally life-threatening judgements about a patient's mental state. Whether or not we agree with the AMA's opposition to recent legislation in the Northern Territory we must be aware that we are being once more asked by society to intervene in important decisions about life, death and the health of our patients.
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