TY - GEN T1 - Medical Paternalism and the Rule of Law: A Reply to Dr. Relman AU - Baron, Charles H. AB - In this Article, Professor Baron challenges the position taken recently by Dr. Arnold Relman in this journal that the 1977 Saikewicz decision of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts was incorrect in calling for routine judicial resolution of decisions whether to provide life-prolonging treatment to terminally ill incompetent patients. First, Professor Baron argues that Dr. Relman's position that doctors should make such decisions is based upon an outmoded, paternalistic view of the doctor-patient relationship. Second, he points out the importance of guaranteeing to such decisions the special qualities of process which characterize decision making by courts and which are not present when such decisions are made by doctors. Finally, he argues that Dr. Relman has overestimated the social costs of bringing Saikewicz-type cases before the courts and that those costs which are inevitable are more than offset by the qualities of process that the court system can offer in such matters. KW - terminal illness KW - medical costs KW - life-prolonging medical treatment KW - patient competency KW - medical law and procedure KW - doctor-patient relationship KW - Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts KW - Saikewicz decision DA - 1979-1-1 PY - 2024 PB - unav JO - American Journal of Law & Medicine VL - 4 SP - 337-366 ER -