On January 17, 2015, PBS aired a chilling documentary about the physician-assisted suicide of a healthy, thirty-four-year-old Belgian woman suffering from depression. The film opens with shots of Eva, in sweat pants and a T-shirt, petting her affectionate Labrador as she greets the youthful Dr. Van Hoey at her home. “Let’s get on with this,” Read more
The British parliament is ready to discuss euthanasia very soon. Even Lord Carey, the retired Archbishop of Canterbury finds merit in the argument for voluntary euthanasia. Other nations are already committed. I It’s clear that New Zealand will one day vote in a voluntary euthanasia law. But the ‘slippery slope’ from voluntary euthanasia to non-voluntary Read more
The New Zealand Catholic Bishops have welcomed the Terms of Reference released by Parliament’s Health Select Committee for an investigation into ending a person’s life in New Zealand. The inquiry will look at the factors that contributed to a person wanting to end their life, as well as the experiences of other countries who have Read more
One person a week in Belgium is opting to die by euthanasia for psychological reasons. The figure was revealed by Wim Distelmans, chairman of the Federal Euthanasia Commission. He said bipolar patients were the majority of 50-60 “psychiatric suicides” last year. “Mostly they’re not old, but they’ve suffered for a long time,” he said Last Read more
Recently Care Alliance participated in the High Court case Seales v Attorney General. It needs financial support to help pay the legal fees for this case. Care Alliance consists of a number of organisations who are united in their opposition to the legalisation of euthanasia. These mainly small participating organisations do not have big financial resources. Read more
A petition due to be presented to Parliament could be the catalyst for a fresh debate on voluntary euthanasia. Labour’s Iain Lees-Galloway says the End of Life Choice Society petition will be tabled at the first opportunity in Parliament and will go straight to a select committee. An editorial under the heading, the devil is in the Read more
A churchgoing man in England has been euthanased against his will, because his killer reasoned that a dog would not have been allowed to suffer like he did. Heather Davidson, 54, has been sentenced to life imprisonment after she smothered cancer victim David Paterson, 82, with a pillow, only hours away from his natural death. Read more
Four months ago I wrote a piece on the debate of euthanasia in New Zealand. Lecretia Seales has become a household name after New Zealand Listener ran a piece titled Dying Wishes and highlighted the debate after a private members bill on the issue had been removed. A word on the ruling I would like Read more
A judge has reserved his decision on whether terminally ill Wellington lawyer Lecretia Seales gets the end she wants to her life. Seales returned to court for the final session of the third day of her court case, in which she seeks to end her life peacefully with the help of her general practitioner. Justice Read more
Former Prime Minister, and constitutional lawyer Sir Geoffrey Palmer is supporting Lecretia Seales in her attempt to clarify the law in a way that would allow her GP to help her to die. Palmer was sitting with her family and friends in the jury box when the case began in the High Court in Wellington Read more