Citation

Keown D. J. Law Relig. 1998; 13(2): 385-405.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, Hamline University)

DOI

10.2307/1051472

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The debate surrounding the so-called "right to die" has commanded increasing public attention over the last decade. Opinion polls in many Western democracies would appear to show increasing support for euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, and a number of recent legal developments have further advanced the cause. As a result of court decisions since 1984, euthanasia has been legally permissible in the Netherlands; physician-assisted suicide was legalized in the State of Oregon in 1994 as a result of a ballot initiative, and in 1995 a voluntary euthanasia Bill was passed in the Northern Territory, Australia. But, even more recently, the "right to die" campaign has suffered reverses. The implementation of the Oregon legislation has been halted by a Federal court pending a determination of its constitutionality; the Northern Territory legislation was overturned by the Australian federal parliament in 1997, and in July 1997 the United States Supreme Court, reversing the decisions of lower courts, declared that there is no constitutional right to physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia. © 1998, Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

article; assisted suicide; Buddhism; Death and Euthanasia; empathy; Empathy; ethics; euthanasia; Euthanasia; homicide; Homicide; human; Humans; personal autonomy; Personal Autonomy; quality of life; Quality of Life; religion; Religious Approach; right to die; Right to Die; socioeconomics; suicide; Suicide; Suicide, Assisted; theology; Theology; Value of Life