Assisted Suicide

Key takeaways: • Socrates' choice is pivotal in Western thought, symbolizing the tension between personal values and societal norms, and challenging the notion of authority. • The discourse contrasts philosophical recklessness with psychiatric responsibility, emphasizing the need for equanimity in addressing life and death choices. • The text highlights the complexities of euthanasia, suicide, and physician-assisted suicide, advocating for respect for diverse perspectives and principled choices. • Socrates' choice serves as a foundational event, prompting critical inquiry and challenging the status quo, with implications for contemporary debates on autonomy and ethics.

This article explores the legal and ethical challenges associated with the recognition of a “right to die” in France following the adoption on first reading of the bill enshrining a “right to aid in dying”, i.e. Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS). The article examines how medicalization, institutional norms, and individual autonomy have redefined the end-of-life experience. The analysis focuses on interpretations of the “right to die” and the “right to dispose of one’s body,” as well as their legal foundations. It reveals significant constraints tied to human dignity, moral responsibility, and third-party involvement. The study argues that establishing the “right to die” would undermine the foundation of the “right to life”. Instead of presenting death as a right, the article proposes strengthening palliative care and developing legal and ethical approaches that honor vulnerability and human solidarity.

This paper examines the interpretation of 'human dignity' in ordinary speech. Human dignity is often employed as an argument in public ethical debates, regularly even by proponents and opponents of an issue. This suggests that the interpretation of the concept may differ greatly between people. To understand how people interpret the term, we conducted interviews using the Q-methodology, a mixed methods approach for investigating subjective matters systematically. We explored the views on human dignity of a broad cross-section of society, consisting of 29 purposively selected persons, in the Netherlands. They were asked to rank 35 aspects according to their importance for a dignified life and, subsequently, to explain their ranking of the items. The analysis revealed six distinct lay views on 'human dignity' in ordinary speech, in which a dignified life corresponds with either 'enjoyment', 'untroubled living', 'self-determination', 'self-actualization', trust in God' or 'relationships'. In the light of this broad spectrum of lay views on the meaning of a dignified life, inspired by a wide array of philosophical and theological thought, it is advisable to always clarify what is meant when someone makes an appeal to human dignity in a public debate. * Corresponding author. Erasmus Institute for Business Economics (EIBE), Room M5Van der Goot building), P.O. box 1738, 3000 DR, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

This presentation clarifies the structural changes in support for euthanasia in Japanese society through an exploratory correlation analysis of the “Survey on Views of Life and Death” conducted in 2019 and 2024. In 2019, support for euthanasia was strongly associated with “self-determination in death” and “suicidal ideation/acceptance of suicide,” but by 2024 these correlations had disappeared, replaced by new associations such as “concern for family members’ deaths” and “preference for sudden death.” Behind this shift lie the progress of an aging society and changes in social risk perception after the COVID-19 pandemic.

In relation to religion, a contradiction is observed between “disregard for religion/denial of the afterlife” and “Buddhist faith/ancestor rituals,” reflecting the coexistence of conformity to traditional practices with a nihilistic view that “death is the end.” Furthermore, although the proportion of people with suicidal ideation increased, the share of euthanasia supporters among them declined. This suggests that euthanasia has come to be framed less as an issue of individual self-determination and more in connection with “the death of others” or “reduction of social costs.”

In conclusion, in post-COVID Japanese society, euthanasia appears to be shifting away from an issue of personal autonomy toward the possibility of “death without the individual’s consent” under institutional and social pressures. In both surveys, supporters of euthanasia accepted the risk of a “slippery slope” (broad interpretations), implying that pointing out such risks may no longer function as an effective critique of euthanasia.

The Canadian medical assistance in dying (MAID) program, based on an ambitious piece of legislation and detailed regulations, has failed to provide Canadians with sufficient publicly accessible evidence to show that it is operating as mandated by the requirements of the law, regulations, and expectations of all stakeholders. The federal law that was adopted in 2016 defined the eligibility criteria and put in place a number of safeguards that had to be satisfied before providing assisted dying to a person in order not to transgress the Criminal Law. The responsibility of monitoring for the purpose of investigating compliance with the eligibility criteria and procedural safeguards was assigned by the Federal Ministry of Health (responsible for all monitoring) to the provincial and territorial governments. Some of the governments have released statistical data concerning the program, but none have yet issued a comprehensive report on adherence to the eligibility criteria and its safegu...

Background: This study compares attitudes and practices concerning the end-of-life decisions between physicians in the United States and in the Netherlands, using the same set of questions. Methods: A total of 152 physicians from Oregon and 67 from the Netherlands were interviewed using the same questions about (1) their attitudes toward increasing morphine with premature death as a likely consequence, physician-assisted suicide (PAS), and euthanasia; and (2) their involvement in cases of euthanasia, PAS, or the ending of life without an explicit request from the patient. Odds ratios, with 95% confidence intervals, were calculated to investigate relation between attitudes and various characteristics of the respondents. Results: American physicians found euthanasia less often acceptable than the Dutch, but there was similarity in at-Conclusions: In this study of American and Dutch physicians, 2 important differences emerge: different attitudes toward the patient who is concerned over being a burden, and different frequency of euthanasia and PAS in the two countries.

The main purpose of the article is to present an ethical and legal analysis of the dispute over medically assisted suicide in Italy. In early July 2025, a bill was submitted to the country’s Parliament to regulate the termination of life on request. The legislative initiative represents yet another stage in the intense public debate over medical aid in dying that has been going on in Italy for several decades. One of its major milestones was the enactment in 2017 of the Law on living wills, which consists of an anticipatory expression of will by an adult or legal guardian – made while enjoying full mental capacity – concerning the possible undertaking or abandonment in the future of various medical therapies and treatments which the individual wishes or does not wish to consent to. The adoption of the Living Will Law has significantly revived the debate on the criteria for terminating life on request. In 2019, the Italian Constitutional Court ruled that Italian residents have the right to receive medical assistance in suicide. In order to gain access to such a medical procedure, several requirements must be met: the person must suffer from an irrecoverable disease that causes physical or mental suffering qualifying as unbearable; he or she must be fully capable of making free and informed decisions; and ultimately must receive life-sustaining treatment. In recent years, some circles in Italy have been pushing for the liberalization of these regulations, advocating for the abolition of the life-sustaining treatments criterion. In 2024, the Constitutional Court and the National Committee for Bioethics spoke out on the matter. The Italian bioethics dispute over medically assisted suicide touches on a number of important issues at the intersection of law and ethics. Analyses presented in the article demonstrate that the most important elements of this debate concern the understanding of the dignity of human life, the relationship that exists between law and morality, and the limits of our freedom.

ABSTRACT: Il presente contributo intende porre l’accento sulla preminenza del principio personalista, il quale diviene decisivo laddove si discuta in merito alla legittimità, sotto il profilo costituzionale, dell’introduzione dell’eutanasia legale in Italia. Nel corso dell’articolo, in una dimensione prettamente pubblicistica, saranno dapprima chiariti gli effetti del “Referendum Eutanasia Legale” e poi sviluppate alcune riflessioni, nella delicata materia del fine vita, circa la compatibilità del principio di disponibilità della vita umana con gli altri diritti e libertà costituzionalmente tutelati.

SOMMARIO: 1. Gli effetti manipolativi del “Referendum Eutanasia Legale”: un atto-fonte necessario e contingente in risposta all’inerzia del Legislatore e alle ripetute sollecitazioni della Corte costituzionale. – 2. La dirompente affermazione del principio di disponibilità della vita umana nel quadro dei diritti e delle libertà costituzionali: il calare del “Velo di Maya” e la preminenza e decisività del principio personalista – 3. Il giudizio di ammissibilità del quesito referendario: la Consulta non svolga un controllo preventivo di costituzionalità della normativa di risulta. – 4. Brevi considerazioni conclusive anche alla luce del recente avvio dei lavori parlamentari sul tema del fine vita.

Sommario. 1. Gli effetti manipolativi del "Referendum Eutanasia Legale": un atto-fonte necessario e contingente in risposta all'inerzia del Legislatore e alle ripetute sollecitazioni della Corte costituzionale.-2. La dirompente affermazione del principio di disponibilità della vita umana nel quadro dei diritti e delle libertà costituzionali: il calare del "Velo di Maya" e la preminenza e decisività del principio personalista - 3. Il giudizio di ammissibilità del quesito referendario: la Consulta non svolga un controllo preventivo di costituzionalità della normativa di risulta. - 4. Brevi considerazioni conclusive anche alla luce del recente avvio dei lavori parlamentari sul tema del fine vita.

Euthanasia and assisted suicide are issues whose evaluation lies within the realm of bioethics. Today, an increasing number of researchers advocate for euthanasia, arguing that a painless death should be a right that may be granted to a terminally ill person — but only after both the individual and their doctors conclude that it is the best solution to a hopeless situation. For a long time, there were no studies conducted on the issue of euthanasia. Discussions about its permissibility and ethical implications were revived following the adoption of specific legal regulations in some countries that legalized euthanasia and established the conditions for its implementation. This was facilitated by the development of biotechnological methods that offered broad possibilities for the "postponement" and "control" of death. Death has begun to be viewed as "proof of human uniqueness." "Control over death, like control over birth, is the foundation of human dignity." In Europe, attitudes toward euthanasia are mixed. Some states have legalized it, while the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has adopted several resolutions condemning the practice.

Public Sector Solutions, a sole-proprietorship research consulting agency specializing in non-profit organizations & government agencies Mesquite, TX, U.S.A. i. Relied upon by think-tanks, advocacy organizations, governments, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) domestically and internationally to offer consulting expertise regarding community needs assessments, program design, monitoring, and evaluation (M&E), strategic planning, human resources (HR), organizational structure, leadership, budgeting, policy development, & policy analysis (among other needs) ii. Procured millions upon millions of dollars in grant funding and fulfilled reporting mandates for these grant awards; proposal win rate 85+% iii. Federal agencies served include the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)/Veteran Health Administration (VHA) iv. Commissioned to conduct rigorous research required in establishing social service initiatives as national model programs v. Delegate to the United Nations (UN) for NGO clients with consultative status vi. Hired by the Attorney(s) General in Texas, Louisiana, & Alabama as expert witness to defend state legislation in court vii.

RESUMEN: El presente trabajo tiene como finalidad realizar breve un estudio de la reciente Ley Orgánica 3/2021, de 24 de marzo, de regulación de la eutanasia (BOE. 25 de marzo de 2021) aprobada en España, desde una perspectiva constitucional, destacando los aspectos principales de la misma. La materia objeto de estudio no está exenta de polémicas porque abarca consideraciones jurídicas, médicas y éticas de gran complejidad.

Co-authored with Liam Miles (University of Northampton). The significance of corporate criminality and leverage is illustrated through the business activities of a Canadian multinational company. Economic and political impropriety are often welded together to reap dividends, however is it not time to redress the balance in favour of the collective good?

Patients seeking to access voluntary assisted dying (VAD) are necessarily at the end of their lives. Hence, they are likely to be concurrently receiving care from institutions (community nursing services, health services, palliative care services, and aged care facilities) with different levels of participation in VAD. This article reports on the various institutional approaches to VAD based on eighteen semi-structured interviews with regulators from Victoria and Western Australia, representing fifteen institutions with varying levels of support for VAD. We generated five main themes from reflexive thematic analysis of the interview data: settling on a position; operationalizing a position and determining level of involvement; local policy decisions on specific VAD activities; transparency; and navigating pluralism and accommodating diverse views. Overall, our findings revealed significant diversity in how institutions approached various VAD activities and that an institution's position on VAD (whether it supports it or not) does not necessarily indicate the extent to which it will facilitate access to VAD. These findings may have relevance for institutions seeking to implement (or revise) their approach to VAD and suggest that greater transparency about institutional approaches to VAD is needed to enable people to make informed decisions about where to seek care.

The requirement that a person has been ordinarily resident in a state for at least 12 months is the most litigated criterion of eligibility for voluntary assisted dying in Australia. The state residence criterion is problematic for people who live a nomadic lifestyle, spend long periods of time interstate or overseas, move between states for work, or have retired to another state. We analyse the case law on this issue, and the policy reasons for this eligibility requirement, and conclude that the original reasons for including this requirement are no longer persuasive. We consider options for reform. Although some of the problems this requirement causes may be ameliorated by introducing an exemption, or allowing mutual recognition of eligibility in another state, we recommend repeal of the state residence requirement. This has the advantage of legal and practical simplicity, avoids concerns about unconstitutionality, and is consonant with assisted dying laws internationally.

Since 2017, highly prescriptive voluntary assisted dying (VAD) laws have been adopted in all Australian states and one self-governing territory. The unique features of the Australian model and salient differences between Australian states and territories are poorly understood internationally. In this article, we provide an overview of the distinctive features of the Australian model of VAD and engage in a detailed comparison with legislation regulating assisted dying or euthanasia in other jurisdictions. We focus on variations in the eligibility criteria for accessing VAD, the request and assessment process, and the permitted method/s of administration. We also consider different international regimes permitting conscientious objection and regulating institutional objection to participating in VAD. Several distinctive features of the Australian model-such as a differential timeframe to death for different medical conditions, express residency requirements, the prohibition on health practitioners initiating conversations about VAD, and legal restrictions on the availability of practitioner administrationhave already served as models for other countries in enacting VAD laws. As other countries consider legalizing the practice, there is much to learn from the Australian model.

This report contributes to the recent and growing body of scholarship on the rapidly shifting terrain of MAiD in Canada. Our study aimed to capture how Canadian news media portrays MAiD’s impending expansion to include mental illness and frames the lives of people diagnosed with mental illness.
Further, it aimed to evaluate the sociopolitical risks of current news reporting
practices. Our team conducted a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of English
language Canadian news media articles from 2020 to 2024 (n=367) using Factiva to understand how MAiD MD-SUMC and people diagnosed with mental illness are rhetorically represented within these texts.

The work is a note on the Constituional Court's ruling no. 50 of 2022, which estblished the inadmissibility of the referendum on the repeal of art. 579 of the Italian penal code (consenting murder). The Court rejected the request of the Committee of Promoters holding that if the law were repealed as a result of the acceptance of the referendum proposal, the murder of vulnerable people who, however, consented to it, would be made legal, in cases where consent is not prohibited by law. The ruling in question hopes that the fundamental choices regarding "end of life" are not resolved through a definitive and immediate instrument such as a referendum, but are discussed in depth by public opinion and Parliament

Este artículo compara    los desarrollos legislativos yjurisprudenciales que han conducido a la legalización yregulación de la eutanasia y  el suicidio asistido en trecepaíses. Inicialmente, explica la naturaleza, características e implicaciones éticas y  jurídicas de la  eutanasia y  el  suicidioasistido. Luego,  analiza los criterios de elegibilidad de lospacientes, relacionados con la naturaleza de la enfermedad(terminal, incurable o curable), la edad (niños o adultos) y lanacionalidad (nacionales, residentes o extranjeros).Finalmente, analiza las características de la  normativa  sobrela eutanasia  y el suicidio asistido (despenalización oregulación), así como la naturaleza (constitucional o  legal)del derecho a la asistencia médica para morir.

Los tribunales han desempeñado un papel protagónico en la
despenalización de la eutanasia y el suicidio asistido en varios países. Desde la década de 1990, han propiciado la anulación o restricción de normas que  sancionan el homicidio por piedad y la ayuda al suicidio, y han contribuido  al desarrollo de los fundamentos ético-jurídicos de los procedimientos de  muerte asistida. Sin embargo, en cada país los jueces han atribuido alcances,  naturaleza y fundamentos muy distintos al derecho a la muerte asistida. En este  artículo analizo tres diferencias principales, relacionadas con las condiciones que dan acceso a la asistencia médica, los derechos fundamentales que la respaldan y su naturaleza como derecho subjetivo. Concluyo que el derecho  a la muerte asistida puede ser, según el país, un privilegio, una inmunidad o  una pretensión, fundamentado a menudo en interpretaciones diferentes —e
incompatibles— de los derechos fundamentales y con ámbitos de aplicabilidad  muy variable.

Palliative care is about achieving the highest quality of life (QOL) and promoting comfort and dignity for patients with incurable and life limiting diseases. Palliative care advocacy has been strengthened by pronouncing that 'the provision of palliative care is a human right'. International covenants have agreed upon this. There are huge unmet needs of patients with life-limiting illnesses in Bangladesh as well as in the world. The majority of countries have neither formal palliative care policies nor integrated palliative care services to meet basic standard guidelines in the provision of palliative care. The nature of the right in the context of international and Bangladesh perspective is discussed here.

Background Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) was legalized in Canada in June, 2016. The Canadian government’s decision to legislate assisted dying, an approach that requires a high degree of obligation, precision, and delegation, has resulted in unique challenges for health care and for nursing practice. The purpose of this study was to better understand the implications of a legislated approach to assisted death for nurses’ experiences and nursing practice. Methods The study used a qualitative approach guided by Interpretive Description. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 59 registered nurses and nurse practitioners. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and managed using qualitative analysis software. Analysis followed a procedure of data immersion, open coding, constant comparative analysis, and the construction of a thematic and interpretive account. Results Nurses in this study described great variability in how MAiD had been enacted in their work context an...

Purpose of Review Over the last 30 years, medical assistance in dying (MAiD) including euthanasia (EU) and physician-assisted death (or suicide, PAS) has become the center of a large debate, particularly when these practices have involved people with psychiatric illness, including resistant depression, schizophrenia, personality, or other severe psychiatric disorders. We performed a review utilizing several databases, and by including the most relevant studies in full journal articles investigating the problem of MAiD in patients with psychiatric disorders but not in physical terminal conditions (non-terminal, MAiD-NT). Recent Findings Literature has shown that a small percentage of people with psychiatric disorders died by MAiD-NT in comparison with patients with somatic diseases in terminal clinical conditions (e.g., cancer, AIDS). However, the problem in the field is complex and not solved yet as confirmed by the fact that only a few countries (e.g., the Netherlands, Belgium, Lux...

Starting from a reality, terminal illness is recognized as a limitation to a dignified life for people. The law establishes as one of its principles the protection and guarantee of the fundamental rights of the holder of the right, in this case the human being. Throughout this document, we will establish the legal principles that have played a key role in the legalization of euthanasia in Ecuador, such as criminal law and the principles of arbitrariness and proportionality. Likewise, it will demonstrate the role that the judicial body has taken, in this case the power of one of the jurisdictional bodies of the Republic, in the judicial resolution around the clear legal concern that encompasses the legalization of an induced death in a State recognized as a guarantor of constitutional rights.

The question of assisted dying is never far away and is now back somewhere near the top of the political agenda. It’s a serious and sensitive debate, about which well-meaning people can disagree profoundly. Much of that disagreement can be traced to conflicting ideas about the meaning of human ‘dignity’. ‘Dignity’ is used in two subtly different ways – one to do with autonomy and choice, the other with care and relationships – and how we understand the term shapes how we think people should be treated at the end of life. This essay explores both meanings and argues that the idea of ‘dignity-through-care’ gives a better account of what it means to be human. More worryingly, it argues that if dignity is understood as personal autonomy expressed through choice, society no longer has any deep reason to deny an individual their choice to die, even if they are not in a terminal condition, not in unbearable pain, or indeed not even in physical ill-health.

Spiritual distress, hopelessness, and depression are concepts that are often used in palliative care. A simultaneous concept analysis (SCA) of these concepts is needed to clarify the terminology used in palliative care. Therefore, the aim of this study is to conduct a SCA of spiritual distress, hopelessness, and depression in palliative care. A SCA was performed using the methodology of Haase's model. A literature search was conducted in March 2020 and updated in April 2022 and April 2024. The search was performed on the following online databases: CINAHL with Full-Text, MEDLINE with Full-Text, MedicLatina, LILACS, SciELO, and PubMed. The search was achieved without restrictions on the date of publication. A total of 84 articles were included in this study. The results highlight that the three concepts are different but also share some overlapping points. Spiritual distress is embedded in the rupture of their spiritual/religious belief systems, a lack of meaning in life, and existential issues. Hopelessness is a sense of giving up and an inability to control and fix the patient's situation. Finally, depression is a state of sadness with a multi-impaired situation. In conclusion, refining the three concepts in palliative care is essential since it promotes clarification and enhances knowledge development towards intervention.

En el presente artículo, utilizando informes oficiales anuales y sentencias de diversos tribunales, así como artículos académicos y periodísticos, analizamos los principales datos, controversias y retos de la implementación de la ley en España.

Background: End of life (EoL) decisions are important and challenging for doctors. Aim: To better understand, describe and quantify this aspect of care. Methodology: A national cross-sectional validated survey was mailed to all doctors of the country. Results: The response rate was 39.3%. The respondents had been practicing for 19.72 years (95% CI: 18.3 -21.0). 86% of respondents declared that their religion was important in EoL care. 42.9% (25.6% disagreed, 31.5% neutral) agreed with the right of a patient to decide whether or not to hasten the end of life. 48.6% agreed (34% disagreed, 17.4% neutral) that high quality palliative care nearly removes all requests for euthanasia. 60.4% agreed (23.9% disagreed, 15.7% neutral) that physicians should aim to preserve life. Each doctor cared for an average of 10.5 EoL (95%CI: 8.45-12.64) patients in the prior 12 months. 32.1% of doctors withdrew or withheld treatment in the care of these patients. Of the remaining 67.9%, 36.6% agreed with such practices. 50.3% had intensified analgesia at EoL with the possibility of hastening death. Only 6% had sedated patients at EoL. Lastly, 11.9% received request for euthanasia whilst 90.2% of doctors would never consider euthanasia. Significant correlations were observed between considering euthanasia, importance of religion, withdrawing/withholding treatment, doctors' specialty, preservation of life and request for euthanasia. A thematic analysis of comments highlighted the importance of the topic, feeling uncomfortable in EoL care, the religious aspect of care, lack of legal framework and the challenge of symptom control. Conclusions: The overall majority of doctors is against euthanasia. There is a strong sense of guidance by their religious beliefs when it comes to EoL care. Doctors believe in preserving life as a guiding principle at the end of life, but do not shun intensification of analgesia at the end of life. Different specialties have slightly different views on EoL. Doctors need guidancelegal and moralon this subject, in the absence of which, their religion and philosophy of life is used to guide them in this rather difficult area of practice.

Dr. Gill's rehab inpatient, Joel, is a decorated former Navy Seal. By age 35, he had served around the globe for a decade. His military career ended two years later, when he suffered a spinal cord injury from two gunshot wounds to his neck. The injuries left him an incomplete quadriplegic-Joel can eat and swallow and move his arms somewhat, but he cannot use his hands; he has nerve pain and spasticity in his extremities. Three months ago, following his initial surgery and monthlong hospitalization, Joel was sent to Dr. Gill's unit. During these months, Dr. Gill has kept a close watch on Joel's depression and adaptation to his medical condition. In general, Joel's depression is in line with what any formerly able-bodied-indeed athletic-person would experience in a like situation. Joel has rejected antidepressant medication, however, and has been determined competent to do so. He is not married and did not have a romantic relationship at the time of his injury. On the occasions when some of his friends from the Seals or from college have visited, Dr. Gill has watched Joel enjoy their company and even laugh.

The lack of accessibility, quality content, and legal validity criteria in ADD forms can affect their applicability in clinical settings. What new elements does this study contribute? From an interdisciplinary healthcare perspective, an ADD form with ethical, clinical, and legal criteria for advance care planning in Colombia is provided.

Right to Death Nonviolent Doctrine is a transparently audited open science proposal based on the researches I for a nonviolent restorative justice rule of law (RoL) least worse possible minimum set of guidelines for the jurisprudence of mental health psyche-social support (MHPSS) harm reduction for individuals and groups demanding for their legal rights to assisted death, also called euthanasia, and suicide. It was developed from my personal experience saving countless lives without any method available, so having to research them infield, and was compiled from my readings when writing the Immortal Magazine's article 'Right to Death and Eternity Thanatology' due to a request from the humanitarian agents of the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) Gaza Mission.

Dying with dignity is a multifaceted concept that varies significantly across different cultural, legal, and healthcare settings. Understanding and respecting this existing diversity is crucial for providing equitable and compassionate end-of-life care and the role of primary care in supporting dying patients and their families is central. Addressing the implications of these variations requires a concerted effort from policymakers, healthcare providers, and society to ensure that every individual can experience a dignified death according to their values and wishes. This brief communication attempts to compile a set of practical recommendations for primary care practitioners to assist them with providing high-quality end-of-life care that fosters a sense of peace for dying patients and their families while ensuring respect for the patient’s autonomy, comfort, and privacy.

There has been no informed or honest debate in North America over the issue of liberalized euthanasia. Despite thousands of newspaper stories, scores of learned academic articles, a handful of closely analyzed legal decisions, and hours of broadcast news and talk show imagery, a full discussion is yet to begin. In both Canada and the United States, where liberalizing euthanasia is a political as well as a medicolegal issue, those seeking the decriminalization of physicianassisted suicide have focused on a few illnesses, public fears of the symptoms they manifest, outdated or incomplete statistics, and philosophic principles inapplicable to the broader issue. As a result, incalculable damage has already been done. Chronic illnesses have been redefined as terminal conditions, and the complex issue of maximizing a chronically ill patient's life -'living with dignity" -has been ignored in a rush to secure the assumed right of all to "death with dignity." The Canadian case is instructive. Long the North American leader in comprehensive national healthcare, Canada is poised to accept liberalizing legislation that will allow court-approved physician-assisted suicide. How it reached this point is a cautionary example of the effects of ignorance, bad jurisprudence, and the exclusion of pertinent information from a supposedly informed and open public debate. A broadly popular movement for euthanasia began in Canada with the legal battle of a middle-aged, middle-class housewife, Sue Rodriguez, to overturn statutory prohibitions against assisted suicide. Until her death in February 1994, the Canadian woman's legal battle for assisted suicide, and her equally public fight against the effects of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), made international headlines for more than a year. Day after day newscasters and reporters told us about, in the words of one, "the plucky woman from Victoria, BC, battling a painful, terminal disease." The story was repeated so many times people came to believe it was true. Both the Supreme Court of Canada and the broader court of public opinion accepted her argument that liberal euthanasia laws are needed and her insistence that ALS is an inevitably and rapidly terminal illness. It was on that basis, for example, that she first applied to the Supreme Court of Canada for an expedited hearing. Without it, her lawyer argued, a necessarily fatal, and presumably painful respiratory crisis would come before a legal judgment could be rendered. These medical assumptions are summarized in the resulting Supreme Court decision's head notes: "Terminally ill patient seeking assistance to commit suicide." 1 Mr. Justice Machlan wrote in his dissenting opinion that "Sue Rodriguez

In legal physician-hastened death, a physician prescribes medication with the primary intent of causing the death of a willing terminally ill patient. This practice differs radically from palliative sedation, intended to relieve a patient's suffering rather than cause a patient's death. In this position paper, we argue that the practice of physician-hastened death is contrary to the interests of patients, their families, and the sound ethical practice of medicine. Therefore, the American Academy of Neurology should advise its members against this practice, as it had done until 2018.

Nowadays, suicide is not considered a criminal act in many criminal codes. This situation also applies to Turkish law. However, acts such as participation in the act of suicide are subject to sanctions in Art.84 of the Turkish Penal Code No. 5237. The legislator has penalized the acts of instigation to suicide, (publicly) encouraging it, strengthening someone else’s decision to commit suicide, and aiding someone else’s suicide in any way within the article mentioned earlier titled “Directing Suicide”. Thus, the acts of instigation and aiding, which are the apparent forms of complicity in the crime, are punished as independent wrongdoings. While suicide itself is not a crime, the justification for punishing the wrongdoings, as mentioned above, is based on the idea of providing adequate protection to important legal values , such as the right to life before the principal act is committed (in mthe foreground of participation).
Due to its unique structure, within the scope of the typical crime of directing suicide, issues such as attempt, participation, qualified form of the crime and aggravated crime due to its consequences, which concern the general theory of criminal law, are at the top of the agenda. In this context, some problems arise, especially in terms of the accessory rule in complicity in the crime, whether the suicide took place or not, the crime of encouraging or forcing to commit suicide regulated in the last paragraph of the provision (publicly) encouraging to commit suicide and aiding to commit suicide as omission. This paper aims to evaluate the problems which arise specifically in the crime of directing suicide and to make some suggestions regarding them.

The taking of one’s own life remains a morally divisive issue, most notably in Western and Westerninfluenced cultures, affecting views related to euthanasia programs and causing many to reject such programs out of hand despite the enormous amount of suffering that they could help to alleviate. The following focuses on voluntary euthanasia and argues that common conceptions of the issue are in need of a clearer analysis, suggesting that voluntary euthanasia should rather be considered suicide by other means, and that when historical perspectives and our shifting contemporary attitudes are considered the modern prejudice against these practices can be seen to be poorly grounded. A legal right to euthanasia would help to establish its moral acceptance, and this as well as a greater understanding of the conditions under which suicide can be rationally considered a potential choice are also argued for.

What is the research about?
While there are anecdotal reports about people being grateful for voluntary assisted dying (VAD), the concept of gratitude for VAD has not been fully explored. This research examines expressions of gratitude from those involved in seeking VAD.
What did we do?
We interviewed 32 family caregivers and one patient about the experience of 28 patients seeking VAD in Victoria. We analysed what people said about gratitude for VAD.
We also created six research poems. This arts-based research method uses people’s words from one or more interviews to create poetry. It helps share the direct voices of patients and family caregivers about their gratitude for VAD and reflects how important it was to them.

Este trabajo analiza los principios de salud preventiva propuestos por Maimónides -centrados en la alimentación y el ejercicio-y los confronta con evidencia científica actual. A través de una revisión temática, se destacan las recomendaciones de no comer hasta la saciedad, mantener una actividad física regular, respetar el orden y calidad de los alimentos, y ejercitarse de forma moderada. Estas normas simples y atemporales muestran una notable coherencia con los lineamientos de instituciones científicas modernas como la American Heart Association (AHA) y del American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Se concluye que los consejos de Maimónides conservan una vigencia sorprendente, y que la integración entre ciencia y tradición puede ofrecer una base sólida para una vida saludable, más allá de modas o recomendaciones contradictorias.

Objective: To undertake the first scholarly examination in Australia of how those involved in seeking voluntary assisted dying (VAD) discuss the concept of gratitude for this new end-of-life choice. The article shares findings through research poetry, an arts-based form of research where poems are developed from data (here, interview transcripts).

L'articolo analizza i disegni di legge in materia di fine vita all'esame del Senato. Lo studio pare dell'importanza del diritto alla vita nella giurisprudenza costituzionale. Affronta poi il tema dell'autodeterminazione, del diritto alla salute e della protezione della dignità. Infine si concentra sul problema dell'efficacia del giudicato costituzionale.

The article analyses the end-of-life bills that are currently examined by the Senate. It first highlights the importance of the right to life in the Italian Constitutional Court’s case-law. It then tackles the issues of self-determination, freedom of health and of the importance of the constitutional protection of human dignity. Finally, the study focuses on the problem of the binding effects of the Constitutional Court’s case-law on the issue.