In reply: The debate about the proposed national code of conduct (“the Code”) has raised a number of important issues, including those highlighted by Myers. The original draft aroused serious concern in the community about the potential role of a centralised bureaucracy with the power to enforce a set of precepts derived from a narrow, largely discredited, philosophical perspective. Although the revised draft now circulated for public comment is admittedly less objectionable than its predecessor, significant concerns remain relating to both its form and its content.
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- 1 Centre for Ethics in Medicine and Society, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC.
- 2 Centre for Values, Ethics and the Law in Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW.