Update: Margaret Somerville is now Professor of Ethics at the Catholic University of Notre Dame Australia.
Catholic Professor of Ethics Margaret Somerville claimed in a University address that the Minister who brought in the Netherlands' euthanasia Act (that's Dr Els Borst), said that doing so had been "a serious mistake."
In an offence against scholalry standards, Prof. Somerville did not check her facts with the primary source before making the claim. I know, because I did. I interviewed Dr Borst in Utrecht: Prof. Somerville had not contacted Dr Borst, and Dr Borst stated clearly and without hestitation that she still thought it a good law.
Prof. Somerville instead chose to repeat scuttlebut circulating amongst assisted dying law reform opponents.
Neil Francis: Before her death, I visited Dr Els Borst in Utrecht, to seek her current views about the Netherlands' euthanasia Act, which she introduced into the Dutch parliament, and which had been in effect for many years. Voice of Neil Francis (interview): What are your feellings about the law? Els Borst: I'm still very happy with it. I think we did the right thing there, also in the way we formulated it. Neil Francis: But despite the clarity of Dr Borst's continued support for the law, Professor Somerville claimed the opposite in an address at the University of Tasmania. Margaret Somerville: The Minister who was responsible for shepherding through the legislation that legalised euthanasia in the Netherlands admitted publicly that doing so had been a serious mistake." Neil Francis: Oh dear. I showed Dr Borst the video of Professor Somerville's claim, and here's her response. Els Borst: I know that story. I'd like to meet this Margaret S... what's her name? Vice of Neil Francis: Margaret Somerville Els Borst: ... well maybe she wouldn't listen anyway. Neil Francis: The public have a right to ask why Professor Somerville chose to spread scuttlebut, instead of checking her sources in a proper, scholarly fashion.
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