Euthanasia
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Euthanasia (from Greek: ευθανασία -ευ, eu, "good", θάνατος, thanatos, "death") is the practice of terminating the life of an often terminally ill person or animal in a presumably painless or minimally painful way often for the purpose of limiting suffering. Laws around the world vary greatly with regard to euthanasia and are constantly subject to change as cultural values shift and better palliative care or treatments become available. It is legal in some nations, while in others it may be criminalized. Due to the gravity of the issue, strict restrictions and proceedings are enforced regardless of legal status.
Switzerland
In Switzerland, deadly drugs may be prescribed to a Swiss person or to a foreigner, where the recipient takes an active role in the drug administration. More generally, article 115 of the Swiss penal code, which came into effect in 1942 (having been written in 1937), considers assisting suicide a crime if and only if the motive is selfish. The code does not give physicians a special status in assisting suicide; however, they are most likely to have access to suitable drugs and the medical establishment have prohibited highly liberal physicians from prescribing deadly drugs further. When an assisted suicide is declared, a police inquiry may be started. Since no crime has been committed in the absence of a selfish motive, these are mostly open and shut cases. Prosecution happens if doubts are raised on the patient's competence to make an autonomous choice. This is rare.
Article 115 was only interpreted as legal permission to set up organizations administering life-ending medicine in the 1980s, 40 years after its introduction.
These organisations have been widely used by foreigners - most notably Germans - as well as the Swiss. Around half of the people helped to die by the organisation Dignitas have been Germans.
See also
Elisabeth Charlotte Marie Rivers-Bulkeley (30 April 1924 - 19 December 2006) was a stock broker. Born in Austria, she lived most of her life in the United Kingdom. She was one of the first ten women to become a member of the London Stock Exchange, on 26 March 1973. She also wrote and broadcast on financial and investment matters for women.
After she was diagnosed with a terminal illness, she attended the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland, which assisted her to commit suicide.
