On 30 November, the ACT Legislative Assembly established a Select Committee to review and report on end of life choices in the ACT. The terms of reference for the Select Committee include inquiring into and reporting on ACT community views on the desirability of voluntary assisted dying being legislated in the ACT. Continue reading

Aurelia Brouwers died via euthanasia in her Netherlands home last week at the age of 29. She had suffered from Borderline Personality Disorder and other mental illness, but was physically healthy. Despite initial promises that only those with terminal illnesses who were mentally capable of making the decision would be eligible for euthanasia, The Netherlands now grants euthanasia for those suffering from mental illness: about 1 in 11 requests for euthanasia on psychological grounds only is granted. Continue reading

A German federal ruling which ordered Germany’s Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) to decide when to allocate lethal medicines to patients is being challenged by the institute’s physicians, who don’t want to be forced to be involved in euthanasia.  The March 2017 ruling of the Federal Court in Leipzig also legalised assisted suicide. Continue reading

Thousands of our fellow Australians are dying in excruciating pain, thanks to the government's egregious disregard for the state of our palliative care system. In a piece titled “’Not the way they wanted to die’: Final wishes of thousands of Australians going unmet,” The Sydney Morning Herald volunteers some sobering statistics: Continue reading

Fabian Stahle, a Swedish citizen concerned about proposals to introduce an assisted suicide law in Sweden based on the Oregon model, decided to go straight to the source to find out just how restricted or how broad the Oregon model really is. Continue reading

One of the greatest dangers that we face as Australians, now that euthanasia is legalised in Victoria, is making the elderly feel as if they are a burden on society. There is an obsession in our culture with being young, and the older generations can tend to be neglected. The propagation of euthanasia further demeans the value of the lives of elderly Australians. As senator for Tasmania, Helen Polley stated: Continue reading

Quebec legalised euthanasia two years ago. When trying to sell the idea of euthanasia to the public, it was promised that access would be limited, and that the primary aim of the legislation was to ensure equal access to palliative care. However, statistics collected from its first two years indicate differently. Continue reading

In the United States the assisted suicide debate is gaining momentum. As of this year, over twenty states introduced bills to legalise the practice, and despite each bill having been struck down, it appears that the deliberation is far from over. The Hill reports: Continue reading

As New Zealand moves to vote on whether they should legalise assisted dying, a poll has revealed that most do not even understand what is meant by the term. The Curia research poll surveyed people about their views on “assisted dying,” and found that the more strongly that individuals supported it, the more likely they are to be confused about what it actually means. Continue reading

In Canada, Quebec’s Parti Québécois government is making the hard push to legalise what will likely be the most liberal assisted dying bill in North America. Not only will it encompass the already-existent physician-assisted suicide legislation, but it will add voluntary euthanasia to the list. Continue reading