Physician assisted dying outlaws : self-appointed death in the Netherlands.

Ost, Suzanne (2011) Physician assisted dying outlaws : self-appointed death in the Netherlands. Clinical Ethics, 6 (1). pp. 20-26. ISSN 1758-101X

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Abstract

No law in any jurisdiction that permits physician assisted dying offers individuals a medically assisted death without the need to comply with certain criteria. The Netherlands is no exception. There is evidence to suggest that physicians are averse to providing an assisted death even when the Dutch ‘due care criteria’ have been met and the unbearable suffering requirement is especially difficult to satisfy. Some individuals with an enduring desire to die who do not meet the ‘due care’ criteria under the Dutch legislation turn to other means of achieving a self-appointed death. This paper explores two alternative methods of securing a self-determined death (an assisted death involving lay assistors or a self-hastened death by stopping eating and drinking), and raises the question of how far the law should recognise autonomy in the context of physician assisted death.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Clinical Ethics
Additional Information:
This is the final draft, after peer-review, of a manuscript published in RSM journals: www.rsmpress.com.
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/core/keywords/law/medicallaw
Subjects:
?? assisted dyingeuthanasiaassisted suicidenetherlandslay-assistorstired of lifeexistential sufferingmedical lawissues, ethics and legal aspectsphilosophymedicine (miscellaneous)k law (general) ??
ID Code:
39995
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
05 Apr 2011 11:37
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
05 Aug 2024 23:32