PHI 1102 Lecture 3: Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide I
11 Jul 2016
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Assisted suicide - someone helps another end their own life. How clearly distinct this will be from euthanasia varies, depending on cases and on more precise de nitions. Active euthanasia is illegal, but in some countries voluntary active euthanasia is legal under certain circumstances. Passive euthanasia involuntarily is illegal, but voluntary and non-voluntary are legal through right to refuse lifesaving treatment or with consent of next of kin/legal guardian. Landmark cases: rodrigues v. british columbia (1993) - sue rodriguez lou gherigs disease, muscular condition where you deteriorate. She wouldn"t be able to end her own life when she was suffering the most. 5 to 4 held the opinion that this was should not be allowed. Their worry was that other people who were vulnerable would be lost: r. v. Latimer (1997) - carried out euthanasia of his daughter who had serious medical problems (cerebral palsy, other complications related to her birth).
