Breach of Trust: Physician Participation in Executions in the United States

Foreword

Physicians as a group, hold a valued and sensitive position in society. We are granted the privilege of practicing medicine with the understanding that we will use our knowledge and skills in the public interest, and in each patient's best interests. This is a responsibility we take very seriously.

Physician participation in capital punishment poses a direct threat to the ethics of our profession. The American Medical Association's (AMA) ethical opinion on this issue is very clear and has not wavered over time. It is inappropriate for society to ask physicians, as members of a profession dedicated to healing and comfort of the sick, to participate in capital punishment. Our position is as follows: An individual's opinion on capital punishment is the personal moral decision of the individual. A physician, as a member of a profession dedicated to preserving life when there is hope of doing so, should not be a participant in a legally authorized execution.

-1992 Code of Medical Ethics, Current Opinions of the Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs of the American Medical Association (article 2.06) Furthermore, where state laws or regulations require involvement, the AMA recommends that state medical societies work through the legislative process to change the pertinent criminal codes, and that the societies inform state licensure boards and certification and recertification agencies.

This report documents the extent of physician participation in law, regulation and practice. It vividly portrays the conflicts that arise when medical skills are used to facilitate executions. As such, it should serve as a valuable resource for physicians, legislators, and correctional officials in efforts to ensure that professional ethics are upheld in all social and legal contexts.

M. Roy Schwarz, M.D.

Senior Vice-President, Medical Education and Science

American Medical Association