SELDOM can someone accused of murder have had so much public support as Newcastle GP Dr David Moor. Not only did 30,000 people sign a petition backing him, but he also had the approval of the family of his alleged victim.

And perhaps the jury taking just 69 minutes to acquit him of murdering 85-year-old terminally-ill cancer victim George Liddell with a massive overdose of painkillers is a reflection also of condonation in our society generally for such action - particularly when, before his trial, Dr Moor admitted helping up to 300 patients to die.

But if indeed this landmark trial, the first criminal case of its kind to be brought, helps to indicate the level of tolerance for such action, it is important that the law and medical ethics are not automatically adjusted towards it.

The verdict on Dr Moor indicates that there may be acceptance and even legal scope for a doctor to give dying patients, particularly those in agony as Mr Liddell was, potentially lethal level of pain relief to help them die with dignity.

But there is a lot of danger in crossing the line into routinely-sanctioned euthanasia even if the motive is compassion.

The problem alone of drafting a law or medical code that could give approval for this without opening the door to abuse or laxity is an evident instance of the danger of going down this path. And to where it can lead is pointed to by disturbing evidence from Holland - where the outlook on supposedly voluntary euthanasia is more liberal - of elderly and often-confused patients being prematurely pressured by greedy relatives to agree to it.

And if, as they have claimed, euthanasia supporters regard this verdict on Dr Moor as "society's wink to euthanasia," the law and the arbiters and architects of medical ethics must not mechanically acquiesce.

For both the law and the medical profession are sworn to protect life - wholly, not conditionally; not even when mercy is the condition.

That strict safeguard must remain.

Nor does this deny compassion or dignity to the dying.

It is allowed them in the prerogative doctors have to give patients sufficient pain relief, even though it may hasten their death, as long as they do not do it simply to shorten life.

This may, as Dr Moor said, put doctors on a tightrope.

But they are doctors and it is part of their job to be in such a position.

And many will find themselves in it many times in their career.

But, surely, it is right and safer that they remain there instead of being allowed to become legalised killers, no matter how kind their intentions.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.