Don’t blame me! The role and scope of the principle of ‘double effect’

Abstract

The concept of 'double effect' is used both as a technical doctrine and more loosely to capture the idea that sometimes we have to make a 'tragic choice' - one that we would prefer not to have to make. The ethical 'doctrine' of double effect identifies a narrow range of circumstances in which it may be acceptable to do something that indirectly compromises a fundamental moral obligation where to do so is the only way to promote another fundamental value. It is different from the looser idea of 'the lesser of two evils' which nay be sufficient for some ethical approaches. The law uses a slightly different version of the concept, to explain why palliative steps that are known to risk incidentally shortening a patient's life may permissible providing that they are close to death, the treatment is professionally appropriate, and the motive is palliative not to cause death. It has also accepted some extreme circumstance where it is possible to justify causing the death of one person to prevent two deaths, theirs and another. This presentation explains these usages of 'double effect' and their application to paediatric palliative care

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