Philosophical debate

Now for a bit of Philosophising. A question for you all to get the blood flowing a little.

Imagine you are a judge, and a case has been brought to you involving conjoined twins. The 7 year old twins will die in 6 months unless an operation goes ahead now. The operation WILL kill one of the children MARK, and save the other child HENRY who will have a happy normal life.

Trouble is Mark doesnt want to die. And his parents cant bring themselves to kill one child to save the other.

On the other side the doctor would like to take custody of the children to do the operation now whilst it is still possible.

Your job, as the judge, is to decide which side you would choose to give custody to.
Just before you decide...

Bear in mind if you decide to kill one child to save the other, you are saying that one life is more imprtant than the other.....
What happens when your son has lung cancer and is given only 6 months to live, meanwhile someone could do with his kidneys now.
What happens if the parents are devout believers and have a do not resuscitate order on the kids. Do they not have a religious right?

But if you decide not to kill the child to save the other, you are saying all lives are equally important....
What about if it were down to you to decide to shoot Typhoid Mary, bringing a virulent disease to your country and possibly killing thousands?
How would you justify corporal punishment or abortion? Does the mass murderer and the unborn foetus have the same rights?

I have tried to make this choice difficult, by placing good argument on both sides, but im sure you guys will add your own points too

My customers have gone with the doctors about 70/30. One client told me she felt all life prisoners shouls have bone marrow harvested regularly, and that people on death row should have their organs removed to save other lives. Another told me the twin should be treated like a cancerous cyst and should be cut out.

I'm falling on the side of the parents (just). I think there is a sanctity of life, and this is murder. To kill a child that doesnt choose to die seems morally wrong, even if it is to save the life of his brother.

What do you think?