To be or not to be: How countries answer the question of assisted dying
Labour MP Kim Leadbeater has introduced a bill to legalize assisted dying for terminally ill adults in England and Wales. The proposed law would allow patients with a prognosis of six months or less to request assistance in ending their life, provided two doctors and a High Court judge confirm they meet strict criteria and have given voluntary, informed consent. Leadbeater asserts that her plan is intended to “shorten death rather than end life”, promising “the strictest safeguards anywhere in the world”. Kazinform News Agency correspondent tried to find out where else is euthanasia legal, and how do these laws compare.
Laws on assisted dying vary greatly worldwide, reflecting different cultural, ethical, and legal opinions on the matter. Enacted in 2001, the Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide Act allows doctors in the Netherlands to help patients in terrible pain who have decided to die.
Belgium's regulations go further, allowing patients to qualify for assisted dying even if they are not terminally ill. Those with serious mental illnesses or dementia, for example, can lawfully ask to die if they have run out of all medical forms of treatment.
Legal but under tight rules, assisted suicide is practiced in Switzerland under one of the most liberal policies worldwide. The Swiss Criminal Code, enacted in 1942, permits assisted suicide provided that the motive is not “selfish”. Organizations committed to assisted dying, notably Dignitas and Exit, have helped people wishing to take their lives since 1985. This regulatory flexibility has also given rise to “suicide tourism”, where people from countries with restrictive euthanasia laws travel to Switzerland to access its services.
Laws regarding assisted dying differ state-by-state in the United States. The practice, often termed “Death with Dignity”, is legal in 11 states, including Oregon, California, and Washington. Adults with terminal conditions can get a prescription for self-administered medications to take their life under these regulations. Recent changes to the Death With Dignity Act in Washington, D.C. let a broader range of medical professionals accept assisted dying requests and let prescribed medications be sent straight to patients.
With laws now in place in six states, including Victoria and Queensland, Australia has also seen gradual acceptance of assisted death. Legislation generally permits terminally ill adults to request life-ending medication, which they may self-administer or, if unable, receive from a healthcare provider. Still forbidden in the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), assisted dying is under review under legislation recently proposed by legislators.
Following a 2015 Supreme Court decision declaring that prohibiting assisted dying violates persons' rights to life, liberty, and security, Canada underwent a major change. The decision let terminally sick adults with "grievous and irremediable" diseases seek doctor help to take their own lives. Since then, Canada has extended these rights, and under strict regulations doctors can now write and deliver life-ending medications.
Some nations, on the other hand, maintain strong prohibitions. For instance, Kazakhstan has strict penalties for anyone attempting to assist in euthanasia. Explicitly prohibiting euthanasia in Kazakhstan's health legislation, it reinforces the restriction with criminal sanctions for anybody engaged in helping or carrying out life-ending operations. Russia and Azerbaijan maintain similar prohibitions, emphasizing the ethical and legal difficulties around assisted dying.
Recent developments have also started to shape the worldwide assisted death discussion. Prominent Australian "right-to- die" activist Dr. Philip Nitschke created the "Sarco", a tool meant to enable a painless death. Once entering the pod, the person answers a series of questions confirming their agreement before pressing a button releasing nitrogen, causing unconsciousness in seconds and death by suffocation in minutes. The Sarco pod, which reflects Nitschke’s goal to “demedicalize death,” has completed its third prototype, which he claims is now ready for practical use.
Although some supporters embrace the Sarco pod, it is still divisive as seen by a recent case in Switzerland where authorities detained numerous people after the first known usage of the gadget. Authorities are now investigating whether the device complies with Swiss assisted dying regulations.
