Suicide, Ethics and the Law: Parliamentary Debates on Suicide in South Australia

In recent years, the South Australian Parliament has debated Bills related to suicide in three different contexts. A review of these debates demonstrates that not all Members of Parliament fully appreciated the complexity of the issues raised nor the competing ethical principles involved. This article reviews the meaning of suicide and how it is treated in Australian law, relevant principles of medical ethics, and the recent Australian literature on law, ethics and suicide. It describes the recent South Australian parliamentary debates related to suicide and the ethical principles that parliamentarians called upon in those debates. The article concludes with recommendations to increase parliamentarians' understanding of ethical principles, with the intention of improving their ability to make good law.