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Browsing School of Law by Advisor "The subject of this short dissertation is the question whether it is lawful to withhold drastic medical treatment from severely handicapped neonates. Although a considerable number of congenital abnormalities are known to medical science today, only five of the more severe and well-known of these abnormalities are discussed in chapter 1. Ethicists from different backgrounds view the issue of selective non-treatment of severely handicapped neonates from different perspectives. Some of these ethical viewpoints are discussed. The law has tended to lag behind modern technology. Legal principles that might have been formulated centuries ago are frequently invoked to resolve current issues. An investigation is conducted into the way the English, American and South African legal systems deal with the issue of selective non-treatment of severely handicapped neonates. In conclusion the author states his own point of view."