Is-suwiċidju assistit medikament idaħħalna fi sqaq mudlamThe Malta Sociological Association (MSA) has formally submitted its response to the national public consultation on Assisted Voluntary Euthanasia (AVE), calling for a deeper integration of sociological analysis in the policy-making process.
Citing decades of sociological research, the MSA highlighted that end-of-life decisions are shaped by a range of social factors, including religious values, family dynamics, access to healthcare, and institutional trust.
The Association warned against viewing such choices as purely individual, urging policy makers to consider broader social contexts that influence perceptions and actions around life and death.
In its submission, the MSA strongly advocated for the implementation of a structured Social Impact Assessment (SIA) within the development of any AVE legislation. This assessment, as defined by the International Association for Impact Assessment, involves the ongoing evaluation of both the intended and unintended social effects, positive and negative, of proposed policies or reforms.
The Association emphasised that an SIA must not be treated as a one-time procedure. Instead, it should function as a continuous process, employing both qualitative and quantitative social research methods. Moreover, it must actively involve a wide range of stakeholders, including sociologists, ethicists, medical practitioners, and the communities directly affected.
Such an approach, according to the MSA, ensures that safeguards in AVE legislation are reflective of lived realities and responsive to social inequalities.
The MSA concluded its response by stating the need for evidence-based public debate, grounded in an awareness that moral decisions do not exist in isolation but are shaped by cultural and social environments.
