RainAndSadness
Administrator
- Jun 12, 2018
- 2,144
This is an informative megathread about the right to die and progress on a political or social level. I'm gonna post some recent victories and breakthrough around the world and I will continuously update it with new information because we're making progress. You can also use this thread to discuss this subject or post information regarding this issue.
The European Court of Human Rights established that suicide is an "expression of individual autonomy" and also made clear that it isn't the responsibility of the state to prevent suicide but "solely to ensure the quality of the suicidal will to die, to protect his freedom and to prevent abuses in a state of weakness".
eclj.org
The constitutional court of Germany ruled in 2020 that assisted suicide is a civil right and made clear that the right to die isn't "restriced to serious or terminal diseases or specific phases of life or of a disease". It would contradict the fact that the right to die "is rooted in human dignity" and therefore does "NOT require any additional explanation or justification". The court also made clear that the right to die "also includes the right to seek and use voluntarily offered help to do so".
In my opinion, this is one of the most important court ruling regarding the right to die.
The constitutional court of Austria declared the ban on assisted suicide illegal because it violates the right to self-determination. According to the court, the right to die must include the right to seek help from a third party. The provision will come into force in December 2021.
www.jurist.org
Spain legalized assisted suicide in 2021.
www.dw.com
The constitutional court of Portugal blocked a law regarding assisted suicide not because they disagree with the right to die on principle but because the law wasn't clear enough under which circumstances people are allowed to leave and what counts as "extreme suffering". So the law was meant to be open without many strictly defined regulations - similar to the Swiss situation I guess - but there will be another attempt to pass a law regarding assisted suicide. The court said that the "right to life can't be transfigured into a duty to live under any circumstances". These comments are very progressive and according to some politicians "a great victory for civilization".
www.euronews.com
In Italy people are currently collecting signatures for a petition. They already have over 750'000 signatures, which is enough for a public vote and to force a referendum. That's a good sign.
www.politico.eu
www.euronews.com
In the United Kingdom, the British Medical Association finally changed to a neutral position when it comes to the right to die in 2021, after years of opposition and a bill - although a very conservative one - has been introduced as well, it would give people that have less than six months to live an option to die. Let's be honest, this isn't nearly enough and it's a punch in the face of everyone who is suffering from chronic mental or physical pain or disabilities that severely limit the quality of life. The public strongly supports a more liberal approach to assisted suicide and the UK needs to address the public opinion on this subject.
www.bma.org.uk
New Zealand also passed a conservative bill in 2020 and will take effect in November 2021.
www.stuff.co.nz
Other countries that legalized assisted suicide are Belgium (since 2002), Netherlands (since 2001) and Luxembourg (since 2009). In Switzerland it's decriminalized, attempts to ban assisted suicide via vote failed massively. In many secular societies the public opinion on assisted suicide is favorable.
Now some of you will think that some of these court rulings and bills are conservative. That's correct, but we shouldn't forget that our morals and social views are still strongly influenced by religious (mostly Christian) dogma, which considers suicide a sin and an offense. But we're slowly moving towards a more compassionate and empathic society, many of these changes that I've listed happened in the last 2 years. We gain traction, we gain attention, we're winning - and that's important. Nothing goes from 0 to 100 over night. Sometimes it takes decades to score victories on social issues. It took years to get same sex marriage legalized in many countries in the western world, 40 years ago we were basically invisible. And that's an issue that shouldn't even be controversial. Now the LGBT community, which I'm a part of, can celebrate the same rights in many regions around the world and it took time. And the right to die is the next battle ground when it comes to human rights. And I'm confident that the right to die and the implementation of legislation around it also will take years and maybe even decades. Sure. But we're moving forward. It's all about moving the overton window, once we establish that the right to die is an act of mercy as it's seen in some countries right now, we will progress faster. But we need to make the case first and take this fight in courts. We need to make arguments and explain why nobody that's suffering so much should be kept alive against their will. The Christian-conservative forces that fight us tooth and nail will lose, it's just a matter of time and a logical conclusion if we recognize the shift away from religious dogma and moral authority. The right to die and the recognition of peoples autonomy will prevail in the long run.
The European Court of Human Rights established that suicide is an "expression of individual autonomy" and also made clear that it isn't the responsibility of the state to prevent suicide but "solely to ensure the quality of the suicidal will to die, to protect his freedom and to prevent abuses in a state of weakness".
The right to assisted suicide in the case law of the European Court of Human Rights.
The European Centre for Law and Justice recently published a detailed report on the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) case law on assisted suicide in...
The constitutional court of Germany ruled in 2020 that assisted suicide is a civil right and made clear that the right to die isn't "restriced to serious or terminal diseases or specific phases of life or of a disease". It would contradict the fact that the right to die "is rooted in human dignity" and therefore does "NOT require any additional explanation or justification". The court also made clear that the right to die "also includes the right to seek and use voluntarily offered help to do so".
In my opinion, this is one of the most important court ruling regarding the right to die.
Germany: Constitutional Court Strikes Down Provision Criminalizing Commercial Assisted Suicide
(Apr. 29, 2020) On February 26, 2020, the German Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht, BVerfG) held that the provision in the German Criminal Code criminalizing commercial assisted suicide is unconstitutional. The Court stated that the general right of personality encompasses a...
www.loc.gov
The constitutional court of Austria declared the ban on assisted suicide illegal because it violates the right to self-determination. According to the court, the right to die must include the right to seek help from a third party. The provision will come into force in December 2021.
Austria Constitutional Court strikes down ban on assisted death
The Constitutional Court of Austria found the ban on assisted death unconstitutional on Friday as a violation of an individual's right to self-determination. The decision came after various affected s...
Spain legalized assisted suicide in 2021.
Spain legalizes euthanasia – DW – 07/11/2021
Spain has joined a handful of countries where terminally or seriously ill people can end their lives legally, provided they fulfill certain criteria and get doctors' approval. The reform came after years of campaigning by supporters. DW's Nicole Ris reports from Madrid.
www.dw.com
The constitutional court of Portugal blocked a law regarding assisted suicide not because they disagree with the right to die on principle but because the law wasn't clear enough under which circumstances people are allowed to leave and what counts as "extreme suffering". So the law was meant to be open without many strictly defined regulations - similar to the Swiss situation I guess - but there will be another attempt to pass a law regarding assisted suicide. The court said that the "right to life can't be transfigured into a duty to live under any circumstances". These comments are very progressive and according to some politicians "a great victory for civilization".
Portugal's constitutional court blocks law decriminalising euthanasia
The court said the law is too imprecise in identifying the circumstances under which assisted suicide procedures can occur.
www.euronews.com
In Italy people are currently collecting signatures for a petition. They already have over 750'000 signatures, which is enough for a public vote and to force a referendum. That's a good sign.
Right-to-die activists hope for a breakthrough in Italy
Referendum campaign in favor of assisted suicide gains traction with the public, against the wishes of the Catholic Church.
www.politico.eu
Italy moves closer to a referendum on legalising euthanasia
A petition to legalise euthanasia in Italy has been signed by enough people to hold a referendum on the subject.
www.euronews.com
In the United Kingdom, the British Medical Association finally changed to a neutral position when it comes to the right to die in 2021, after years of opposition and a bill - although a very conservative one - has been introduced as well, it would give people that have less than six months to live an option to die. Let's be honest, this isn't nearly enough and it's a punch in the face of everyone who is suffering from chronic mental or physical pain or disabilities that severely limit the quality of life. The public strongly supports a more liberal approach to assisted suicide and the UK needs to address the public opinion on this subject.
BMA adopts neutral position on physician-assisted dying
This week, after a thorough and absorbing debate, the BMA representative body voted to change its policy on assisted dying, from opposition to neutrality.
www.bma.org.uk
Assisted dying for terminally ill bill passes first Lords stage
A new Assisted Dying Bill has been introduced in the House of Lords. It would allow patients who are of sound mind and have less than six months to live to be assisted to end their lives. Humanists UK campaigns for legal assisted dying for both those with terminal and incurable illnesses. It has...
humanists.uk
New Zealand also passed a conservative bill in 2020 and will take effect in November 2021.
Stuff
www.stuff.co.nz
Other countries that legalized assisted suicide are Belgium (since 2002), Netherlands (since 2001) and Luxembourg (since 2009). In Switzerland it's decriminalized, attempts to ban assisted suicide via vote failed massively. In many secular societies the public opinion on assisted suicide is favorable.
Now some of you will think that some of these court rulings and bills are conservative. That's correct, but we shouldn't forget that our morals and social views are still strongly influenced by religious (mostly Christian) dogma, which considers suicide a sin and an offense. But we're slowly moving towards a more compassionate and empathic society, many of these changes that I've listed happened in the last 2 years. We gain traction, we gain attention, we're winning - and that's important. Nothing goes from 0 to 100 over night. Sometimes it takes decades to score victories on social issues. It took years to get same sex marriage legalized in many countries in the western world, 40 years ago we were basically invisible. And that's an issue that shouldn't even be controversial. Now the LGBT community, which I'm a part of, can celebrate the same rights in many regions around the world and it took time. And the right to die is the next battle ground when it comes to human rights. And I'm confident that the right to die and the implementation of legislation around it also will take years and maybe even decades. Sure. But we're moving forward. It's all about moving the overton window, once we establish that the right to die is an act of mercy as it's seen in some countries right now, we will progress faster. But we need to make the case first and take this fight in courts. We need to make arguments and explain why nobody that's suffering so much should be kept alive against their will. The Christian-conservative forces that fight us tooth and nail will lose, it's just a matter of time and a logical conclusion if we recognize the shift away from religious dogma and moral authority. The right to die and the recognition of peoples autonomy will prevail in the long run.
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