Professor Keown spoke of unmet needs for care and pain relief, and argued that the ethical duty to provide it was clear under any philosophical system, whether Utilitarianism, Principlism (the principles being autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, and justice) or Natural Law.

He cited the 2010 Montreal Declaration on inadequate pain management, and various agreements outlawing torture, in claiming that there is an international human right to preventative, curative and palliative health care.

He said that under British civil law, and that of the Commonwealth and USA, when a patient was unnecessarily left in pain, in theory an action for negligence would lie, since a breach of a duty of care causing loss or harm could be proved, although he knew of no actual case being brought. This could be against a doctor, or vicariously, and possibly directly, against a hospital or care provider.

In criminal law, it was clearly established by Mr. Justice Devlin’s clear exposition in the Bodkin Adams case 1957 that a doctor may legitimately give all necessary pain relief even if, as an unintended but unavoidable side effect, it shortens life. (Oncologists now believe that properly administered relief does not in fact usually do that.) In the case of Dr. Nigel Cox, convicted of attempted murder of a patient in 1992, the judge went further and stated there was not just a permission but a duty to alleviate pain.

For those with a duty of care to children and young people, to the mentally incompetent and even to animals, wilful neglect is a statutory criminal offence. Professor Keown suggested that there was a need for these provisions to be extended so that a person who ill treats or wilfully neglects any person in his care commits a statutory offence.

It was generally agreed that universal access to the best palliative care, not only for physical but for mental and spiritual needs, in all kinds of suffering, is the best answer to requests for any form of euthanasia, and should be available as soon as needed, not just when death is imminent.

Viewers can share their own thoughts and feelings about abortion and comment on the speakers on the 4thought website. The ProLife Alliance urges viewers to do so.

Those on Twitter or Facebook can put messages on and follow the debate.

The films will be shown as follows:

Monday 15th November at 7.55pm – Rachel Bass

Practising Christian Rachel Bass decided to have an abortion after discovering her baby was severely disabled, but believes that God understands the difficult decision she had to make.

Tuesday 16th November at 7.55pm – Dr Trevor Stammers

Dr Trevor Stammers is a Christian who has been a practising GP for over 30 years. He refuses to personally refer women for abortions and believes there is a growing uneasiness in the medical profession about the vast numbers of abortions performed simply because women see children as a “social inconvenience”.

Wednesday 17th November at 7.55pm – Professor Wendy Savage

Professor Wendy Savage is a retired obstetrician and gynaecologist and the co-ordinator of Doctors for a Woman’s Choice on Abortion. She believes that abortion is an important medical procedure and that religious groups should not tell women what they should do with their lives.

Thursday 18th November at 7.55pm – John Smeaton

National Director of the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child John Smeaton is fundamentally opposed to abortion in all cases. He believes that the same arguments that were used to justify slavery are now being used to justify abortion.

Friday 19th November at 7.25pm – Cat Stark

Twenty-seven year old Cat Stark had an abortion when she fell pregnant at university. She believes that it is patronising that women have to satisfy a list of criteria before being allowed an abortion and thinks that the 24 week time limit should be removed, as women are best-placed to make decisions about their own bodies.

Saturday 20th November at 7pm – Kiran Kaur

Sikh Kiran Kaur has a six-month-old daughter and is dismayed that women in the Asian community are still aborting their female babies for social reasons. She believes this is fundamentally at odds with the Sikh faith which preaches the equality of men and women.

Sunday 21st November at 7.05pm – Lucy Cavendish

Writer Lucy Cavendish had two abortions before starting her family. She viewed them as practical not moral decisions, and thinks it is wrong to bring a baby into the world that you do not want.

This is the fourth annual All-Ireland Rally for Life and is the most important event in the Irish prolife calendar. We urge all our Irish supporters to attend if they can.

The event begins at 2pm in Custom House Square, Belfast. For more information visit the Rally for Life website.

The event will begin at 7pm and finish by 10pm. It will be held in the Julian Hodge Lecture Theatre, which is on Column Drive, off Column Road. The motion for the debate is “This house would ban abortions”. It promises to be a thought-provoking and interesting discussion of the arguments in favour of and in opposition to the abolition of abortion. We strongly encourage anyone in the Cardiff area to attend.