对生前预嘱相关问题的探讨

Discussion on the issues of living will

生前预嘱是指人在意识清楚时签署一份文书来事先表达出自己在生命末期的医疗意愿。本文针对生前预嘱的理解和适用中存在的相关问题作出探讨。本文以尊严死在我国的提出以及生前预嘱在我国的推广现状为基础,从法律的视角分析了生前预嘱的合法性和必要要件,并阐明了在目前的法律框架下生前预嘱还不是生效的法律文件,生前预嘱的落实还需要亲属的同意。本文借鉴其他国家和地区对生前预嘱的立法状况并结合我国的实际,提出了对于放弃治疗和尊严死的理解,以及针对医疗实践中放弃治疗的困惑提出了对放弃治疗应该严格遵循的原则。

The living will is one form of advance directive that is for a conscious individual to express his or her medical treatment desires when he or she is no longer able to express wishes clearly. This paper discusses the issues on the understanding and application of living will. Based on the current situation of the proposal of dignified death and the popularization of the living will in China, the paper analyzes the legality of living will and its necessary ele- ments from the legal perspective. The paper also illuminates that living will is not an effective legal documents under the current Chinese legal system and its application need the consent of the direct relatives. The paper introduces the legislation concerning living will in other countries and areas, and argues the understanding of the dignified death and the abandoning therapy and the necessary principles for abandoning therapy that need to be strictly obeyed in the medial practice.