This webinar will review New Jersey law addressing end-of-life issues from 1974 to the present day, with an emphasis on bioethical considerations. The program will explore related topics including the New Jersey Declaration of Death Act, advance directives, and POLST, along with the impact of COVID-19. The presentation will end with an analysis of New Jersey's Medical Aid in Dying statute and how it interfaces with COVID-19.

Following an introductory overview of the four core principles of bioethics – autonomy, justice, beneficence and nonmalficence – this program will explore the “right to die” recognized in Quinlan and its legal progeny.  Our speakers will review New Jersey case law and statutes associated with end-of-life decision-making including brain death and religious exceptions, medical futility issues, and advance directives and planning. The management of these issues, and the rationing of limited resources within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, will also be discussed. The program will conclude with a review of the New Jersey Medical Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act. This will include eligibility criteria, documentation and reporting requirements under the Act, and practical considerations for healthcare providers related to COVID-19 and the statute. There will be discussion of arguments of opponents and the significant limits of the Act.  

Our speakers for this webinar will be:

John Zen Jackson
Counsel
Healthcare Department

James A. Robertson
Partner and Chair
Healthcare Department

Program recording: Bioethical Issues and End-of-Life Options in New Jersey in the Time of COVID-19