
Full text loading...
The verdict in the court case against the Dutch state in order to decriminalise assisted suicide for people who wish to end their lives, is no surprise. The practical realization of the right to self-determination over one’s end of life, including the right to be able to receive or provide any necessary assistance, is only possible when accompanied by an awareness of a duty to use that right responsibly. Removing the penalization of providing assistance with this self-determination can therefore only be effected if it is accompanied by a careful practice of such assistance.