Category: Euthanasia

By Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition On February 24, Canada’s federal government introduced Bill C-7. It claimed the legislation was in response to the Quebec Superior Court decision striking down the requirement in the euthanasia law that a person’s “natural death must be reasonably foreseeable” to die by MaiD [Medical Assistance in Dying]. Due …

By Michael Cook    The argument for assisted suicide and euthanasia rests squarely on the doctrine of autonomy. As The Economist has pointed out: “Some activists for the rights of the disabled regard the idea that death could be better than a chronic condition as tantamount to declaring disabled people to be of lesser worth. We …

The Australian Labor Party is campaigning on a dicey issue in the Queensland election.  By Kurt Mahlburg  At the weekend, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk officially launched Labor’s campaign for the upcoming state election. Among the platform promises she made was this: if re-elected, Labor will introduce “voluntary assisted dying” laws within months. As far as …

By Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition The Catholic News Agency [CNA] reported on October 13 that The Bioethics Committee of Spain–CBE [Comité de Bioética de España]–unanimously rejected the underlying principles behind the euthanasia and assisted suicide bill that is making its way through the Congress of Deputies, the lower house of the legislature.  …

By Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition Last week I wrote that the Netherlands government was debating expanding the euthanasia law to include children (1 – 12). The Dutchnews.nl reported that Dutch Health Minister announced that the Dutch government will amend the euthanasia law to permit child euthanasia. According to the DutchNews.nl: Health minister Hugo …

By Wesley J. Smith The Netherlands is about to expand its euthanasia law to allow children ages 1–12 to be killed by doctors. (Children older than 12 already can be euthanized). From the NLTimes story: Terminally-ill children between the ages of 1 and 12 will likely be granted access to euthanasia, Health Minister Hugo de Jonge told Parliament …

By Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition As Ireland debates legalizing euthanasia and New Zealand citizens are posed to vote on a euthanasia referendum, the government of the Netherlands  is considering expanding their euthanasia law to include children (1 – 12 years) and people who are not sick or dying but are “tired of living” …

By Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition Taryn Grant reported on October 6 for CBC news that Jack Sorenson, Katherine Sorenson’s husband, died on Saturday, after a three judge panel of Nova Scotia Court of Appeal decided that they had no role in reviewing euthanasia assessments, even if a euthanasia assessment was wrong. Katherine believed that …

By Wesley J. Smith I wrote a bit ago here about the Canadian woman legally trying to prevent her husband from being killed in a euthanasia homicide. The courts rejected her appeal and now the man is dead. The case highlights the cultural tensions and incompatible value systems that are tearing the West apart, about which euthanasia is …

Many think it’s all about saving people from being ‘kept alive’ against their will By Carolyn Moynihan     Among the roadside billboards canvassing votes for political parties and their candidates in New Zealand’s triennial election on October 17 is one announcing starkly: “LETHAL DOSE with NO assessment for coercion required.” Below that it asks: “Is …

By Professor Theo Boer, Former reviewer of euthanasia cases in the Netherlands Editor’s note This article was published by the Irish Independent on October 5 and reprinted on the website of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition with permission of Prof. Boer. As early as next week, Irish Members of Parliament could be casting a vote on the complicated and …

By Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition New Zealand is having a referendum on euthanasia as part of its October 17 federal election. New Zealand’s parliament passed a euthanasia bill in November 2019 by a vote of 69 to 51. To obtain the votes to pass the Act, the government agreed to a referendum. …