The Status of Assisted Suicide

Abstract

This chapter discusses the legal status of assisted suicide. It explains that the legal regulation of assisted suicide follows broad political and public debates involving concerns for the sincerity and firmness of a person's wish to die, on the one hand, and for their right to end their life with the aid of another person, on the other, especially if they suffer from terminal illness. In the past, there have been attempts to implement laws decriminalizing assisted suicide and euthanasia. This chapter discusses how, ultimately, most legal cases that discuss the legality and constitutionality of assisted suicide laws attempt to balance a person's right to autonomy, human dignity, protection of privacy, or security with the sanctity of life and the public interest in formulating safeguards against abuse.