BBC Features Blood, Children, Legal Implications

by Englishman 4 Replies latest jw friends

  • Englishman
    Englishman

    Today, on BBC Radio 2’s Jimmy Young Show (weekdays, 12 – 2), a listener posed the following question for Jimmy’s regular guest, Mark Stephens, The Legal Eagle:

    “I live next door to a family of Jehovah’s witnesses. There are 3 children in this family, and I would like to know what the legal implications would be if one of the children were to be involved in an accident and required a blood transfusion. Who would decide what treatment the children would receive in a life-threatening situation?”

    This is the gist of the Legal Eagle’s reply. Once a child is 16 he is legally entitled to make his own decisions about what treatment he wants or doesn’t want. But there is now an exception to this rule because of a 1986 ruling in the House of Lords. This refers to whether a girl below the age of sexual consent (16) would be able to legally obtain a prescription from her doctor for the contraceptive pill despite her being legally under age to consent to sex. The Lords ruled that providing a child is reasonably lucid and mature, it would be proper for a child under 16 to be able to decide for him/herself what treatment the child is given and that the parents do not necessarily have to be consulted.

    The Legal Eagle then went on to say that it is customary for a hospital to obtain a Court Order that gives the hospital the legal right to transfuse blood into a child if the child was deemed to be in danger. That was it.

    Now, wouldn’t it be good if we Brits were to email Radio 2’s legal dept about shunning? Jimmy’s show has over 6 million listeners in the UK, there is all the info needed to do this at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/jimmy_young/

    Englishman.

    Bring on the dancing girls!

  • Englishman
    Englishman

    No one else listen to Radio 2 around here?

    Bring on the dancing girls!

  • Simon
    Simon

    I've progressed onto Radio 4 now ... when I get older I'll get to Radio 3 ...

    I think it would be good to organise a write-in on a 'subject' but they may guess if they suddenly get 50 letters out of the blue all on the same topic (if we managed 50).

    I think things like this need to be timed for when something is in the news.

  • dungbeetle
    dungbeetle

    (((Simon)))

    This may not be 'news' but it is newsworthy. This 'legal eagle' person just misinfomed all those listeners of how a cult operates.

    Someone should mail copies of the recent watchtower study article about the disfellowshipping and shunning of CHILDREN for blood transfusions (it's considered 'sin'). This is something the courts should be aware of, and doctors and nurses...and I can imagine that a 16-year-old child might very well decide he would rather die than go through the six-month/one-year reinstatement process, and face not getting to be a pioneer/bethelite/ms/elder without a whale of a fight.

    Just look at the what some JW's do--they will shun a rape/molestation survivor, they will cover up pedophilia, lying, stealing----they do all these things rather than be shunned themseves. Now how could a child stand up to pressure like that, especially when 'raised in the troof' and this is all he knows?

    Just my 1/2 cents worth...

    In 1975 a crack team of publishers was sentenced to death by a judicial commiteee. They promptly escaped from the cult and now live life on the run. If you have a problem ... and if you can find them ... maybe you can contact the A--postate Team"

  • Englishman
    Englishman

    Shit, Dungbeetle, I didn't know any of that. Right lets get this one cookin'.

    Englishman.

    Bring on the dancing girls!

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