THE HAGUE (Reuters) – The Netherlands does not have to widen its euthanasia laws by legalising assisting in a suicide for everyone, not just for doctors, Dutch judges ruled on Wednesday after a challenge from a right-to-die organisation.
In their written decision, the judges ruled that the Dutch law strikes a “fair balance between the societal interests of a ban on assisting a suicide – protection of life and preventing abuse of vulnerable persons – and the interests of an individual to have access to physician-assisted suicide in the case of unbearable suffering without the prospect it will get better”.
The case was brought by right-to-die organisation Cooperative Last Will as strategic litigation aimed at getting the Netherlands to widen existing laws.
It had argued that the ban on assisting suicide not overseen by medical professionals violated the right to self-determination and respect for private life enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights.
Lawyers for the Dutch state said the euthanasia laws strike a balance between the duty of the state to protect citizens, even from themselves, and individual autonomy.
The Netherlands was the first country in the world to legalise euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide under strict conditions and when overseen by medical professionals.
Assisting a suicide or providing a means for someone to take their own life outside of the strict criteria is punishable with a jail term of up to three years.
(Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
