Ethics 8th Edition by Barbara MacKinnon,Andrew Fiala

Exercise 2

Doctors and Execution. Dr. Kaur has been asked to serve as a consultant for the state as it is revising its protocol for use of lethal injection in executions. Dr. Kaur is not personally opposed to the death penalty, but he knows that the American Medical Association and other doctors' groups object to the involvement of doctors in executions. These organizations argue that doctors take an oath to preserve life and thus should not be accessories to the taking of life. But Dr. Kaur thinks it is important to find humane ways to execute people. And he figures that it would be better if doctors, who understand how the lethal injection protocol works, were involved in the process. He agrees to work with the state as it reviews and revises its lethal injection protocol.
Is Dr. Kaur doing the right thing? Should doctors be involved in finding humane ways to execute convicted criminals? Why or why not?