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Articles 1 - 30 of 40
Full-Text Articles in Medical Jurisprudence
Legislated Ableism: Bill C-7 And The Rapid Expansion Of Maid In Canada, Isabel Grant
Legislated Ableism: Bill C-7 And The Rapid Expansion Of Maid In Canada, Isabel Grant
All Faculty Publications
This paper explores the recent expansion of medical assistance in dying to disabled people who are suffering intolerably but are not at the end of their lives. The paper argues that it is impossible to separate suffering caused by an irremediable disability and suffering caused by the impacts of systemic ableism, which include high rates of poverty, social isolation and exclusion for people with disabilities. The paper suggests that this expansion raises constitutional issues under s. 15 and s. 7 of the Charter because it is premised on a view that portrays disability as potentially worse than death and thus …
Suicide And Euthanasia: The International Perspective On The Right To Die, Zachary A. Feldman
Suicide And Euthanasia: The International Perspective On The Right To Die, Zachary A. Feldman
Cornell Law Review
Several countries across the globe have weighed their interests in preserving life, in preventing suicide, and in allowing terminally ill patients to end their lives at their own discretion with, or without, the help of a physician. This Note will highlight the inconsistencies in jurisdictions that treat suicidal ideations both criminally and medically, and ultimately argues for a uniform system of laws that govern mental illness internationally.
A Deliberate Departure: Making Physician-Assisted Suicide Comfortable For Vulnerable Patients, Browne Lewis
A Deliberate Departure: Making Physician-Assisted Suicide Comfortable For Vulnerable Patients, Browne Lewis
Arkansas Law Review
On an episode of Marvel’s Jessica Jones, Kilgrave uses his mind control powers to get Jack Denton to give him both of his kidneys. After he loses his kidneys, Denton goes on dialysis and has a stroke. Therefore, when private investigator Jessica Jones tracks down Denton, she discovers that he is wheelchairbound and unable to speak. Denton goes to great lengths to write a note asking Jones to kill him. This fictionalized story may be the reality for some people. Everyone wants to live a happy life and to have a good death. Some people have the privilege of dying …
The Constitutional Right To Suicide, The Quality Of Life, And The "Slippery-Slope": An Explicit Reply To Lingering Concerns, G. Steven Neeley
The Constitutional Right To Suicide, The Quality Of Life, And The "Slippery-Slope": An Explicit Reply To Lingering Concerns, G. Steven Neeley
Akron Law Review
[M]any courts and scholars appear to be motivated by yet another and more implicit concern with the so-called "quality of life" argument. [...] This ofttimes subtle design ultimately proves to be nothing more than a variation of the "slippery-slope" argument. This paper will contend that such arguments are logically fallacious and, at best, sway only by emotional appeal. As such, this style of argument should be afforded little forensic weight as it serves only to further confuse the debate over the constitutionality of selfdirected death.
Aging Populations And Physician Aid In Dying: The Evolution Of State Government Policy, David Orentlicher
Aging Populations And Physician Aid In Dying: The Evolution Of State Government Policy, David Orentlicher
Scholarly Works
Professor David Orentlicher explores the evolution of physician assisted suicide from illegal taboo to the passage of Death with Dignity legislation and caselaw.
Machine Speech, Tim Wu
Machine Speech, Tim Wu
Faculty Scholarship
Computers are making an increasing number of important decisions in our lives. They fly airplanes, navigate traffic, and even recommend books. In the process, computers reason through automated algorithms and constantly send and receive information, sometimes in ways that mimic human expression. When can such communications, called here “algorithmic outputs,” claim First Amendment protection?
Vacco V. Quill And Washington V. Glucksberg: Thou Shalt Not Kill, Unless Your State Permits Physician-Assisted Suicide , Jennifer Bradford
Vacco V. Quill And Washington V. Glucksberg: Thou Shalt Not Kill, Unless Your State Permits Physician-Assisted Suicide , Jennifer Bradford
Pepperdine Law Review
No abstract provided.
Assisted Death And The Slippery Slope—Finding Clarity Amid Advocacy, Convergence, And Complexity, Mary J. Shariff
Assisted Death And The Slippery Slope—Finding Clarity Amid Advocacy, Convergence, And Complexity, Mary J. Shariff
Mary J. Shariff
This paper unpacks the slippery slope argument as it pertains to assisted death. The assisted-death regimes of the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and the states of Washington and Oregon are discussed and examined with respect to the slippery slope analytical rubric. In addition to providing a preliminary explanation of how the slippery slope argument has been academically defined and constructed, the paper examines assisted-death models from the perspective of considering what might exist at the top and at the bottom of the slippery slope. It also explores the nature and scope of safeguards implemented to avoid slippage, and shows that …
A Graceful Exit: Redefining Terminal To Expand The Availability Of Physician-Facilitated Suicide, Browne C. Lewis
A Graceful Exit: Redefining Terminal To Expand The Availability Of Physician-Facilitated Suicide, Browne C. Lewis
Law Faculty Articles and Essays
For almost ten years, Oregon stood alone as the state that permits terminally ill persons to choose the time and manner of their deaths. Finally, in 2009, Oregon received company when the state of Washington’s physician facilitated suicide statute officially went into effect in March of that year. Supporters of the statutes hailed the enactments as a victory for persons seeking to die with dignity. Persons from groups like Compassion & Choices vowed to seek similar legislation in the remaining states. Representatives from the Washington State Medical Association, hospice groups and hospitals argued that the mandates of the statutes place …
"A Perfection Of Means, And Confusion Of Aims": Finding The Essence Of Autonomy In Assisted Death Laws, Mary Shariff
"A Perfection Of Means, And Confusion Of Aims": Finding The Essence Of Autonomy In Assisted Death Laws, Mary Shariff
Mary J. Shariff
This article explores whether the principles of autonomy and self-determination are indeed at the root of the assisted death laws currently in place in a number of jurisdictions. It is written to appeal to a very broad audience and to those who wish to become better informed about the legal aspects of the assisted death debate. The article first provides a comprehensive and comparative examination of the assisted death laws in the jurisdictions that have promulgated express legislation to regulate assisted death – The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Oregon and Washington and also includes an examination of Switzerland, which does not …
Immortal Beloved And Beleaguered: Towards The Integration Of The Law On Assisted Death And The Scientific Pursuit Of Life Extension, Mary J. Shariff
Immortal Beloved And Beleaguered: Towards The Integration Of The Law On Assisted Death And The Scientific Pursuit Of Life Extension, Mary J. Shariff
Mary J. Shariff
This article sets out to explore the scientific pursuit of life extension in the context of current controversies surrounding death, particularly those that involve competent individuals who desire death but are unable to bring it about without the assistance of another individual. Humans are on the threshold of being able to significantly increase their life expectancy yet, in Canada and elsewhere, we have still not come to any consensus as to how we are permitted to die. After a brief introduction in Part I, Part II of this article summarizes the legal position in Canada on assisted death and explores …
Can Glucksberg Survive Lawrence? Another Look At The End Of Life And Personal Autonomy, Yale Kamisar
Can Glucksberg Survive Lawrence? Another Look At The End Of Life And Personal Autonomy, Yale Kamisar
Articles
In Washington v. Glucksberg, the Court declined to find a right to physician-assisted suicide ("PAS") in the Constitution. Not a single Justice dissented. One would expect such a ruling to be quite secure. But Lawrence v. Texas, holding that a state cannot make consensual homosexual conduct a crime, is not easy to reconcile with Glucksberg. Lawrence certainly takes a much more expansive view of substantive due process than did Glucksberg. It is conceivable that the five Justices who made up the Lawrence majority-all of whom still sit on the Court-might overrule Glucksberg. For various reasons, …
Drugged, Carl E. Schneider
Drugged, Carl E. Schneider
Articles
The Supreme Court's recent decision in Gonzales v. Oregon, like its decision last year in Gonzales v. Raich (the "medical marijuana" case), again raises questions about the bioethical consequences of the Controlled Substances Act. When, in 1970, Congress passed that act, it placed problematic drugs in one of five "schedules," and it authorized the U.S. attorney general to add or subtract drugs from the schedules. Drugs in schedule II have both a medical use and a high potential for abuse. Doctors may prescribe such drugs if they "obtain from the Attorney General a registration issued in accordance with the …
How We Die: A New Prescription, Martin Bienstock
How We Die: A New Prescription, Martin Bienstock
Journal of Law and Health
The dawn of the twenty-first century brought with it a profound change in the way we experience death. Until the last decades of the twentieth century, our bodies died all at once: when the heart kidneys, lungs, or brain failed, the body's other organs failed with them. Modern medicine now allows us to die in pieces, with failing organs supported or supplanted by technology. Modern death is different not only biologically, but also sociologically. Until the twentieth century, death was a private event that took place in the home with the family. It offered one final opportunity for family members …
The Road To Glucksberg, Carl E. Scheider
On The Meaning And Impact Of The Physician-Assisted Suicide Cases, Yale Kamisar
On The Meaning And Impact Of The Physician-Assisted Suicide Cases, Yale Kamisar
Book Chapters
I read every newspaper article I could find on the meaning and impact of the U.S. Supreme Court's June 1997 decisions in Washington v Glucksberg and Vacco v Quill. I came away with the impression that some proponents of physician-assisted suicide (PAS) were unable or unwilling publicly to recognize the magnitude of the setback they suffered when the Court handed down its rulings in the PAS cases.
The Implementation Of Oregon’S Death With Dignity Act: Reassuring, But More Data Are Needed, David Orentlicher
The Implementation Of Oregon’S Death With Dignity Act: Reassuring, But More Data Are Needed, David Orentlicher
Scholarly Works
Undoubtedly, empirical data from Oregon will play a key role for academics, legislators, judges, and the public as debate over the legalization of physician-assisted suicide continues. A central issue in the debate is whether a right to assisted suicide can be limited to only the truly compelling cases, or whether it will in practice be provided to patients who choose it out of depression, coercion, or misunderstanding. Empirical research can provide critical insights into this question.
On The Meaning And Impact Of The Physician-Assisted Suicide Cases. (Symposium: Physician-Assisted Suicide: Facing Death After Glucksberg And Quill), Yale Kamisar
Articles
I read every newspaper article I could find on the meaning and impact of the U.S. Supreme Court's June 1997 decisions in Washington v. Glucksberg' and Vacco v. Quill.2 I came away with the impression that some proponents of physician-assisted suicide (PAS) were unable or unwilling publicly to recognize the magnitude of the setback they suffered when the Court handed down its rulings in the PAS cases.
The Alleged Distinction Between Euthanasia And The Withdrawal Of Life-Sustaining Treatment: Conceptually Incoherent And Impossible To Maintain, David Orentlicher
The Alleged Distinction Between Euthanasia And The Withdrawal Of Life-Sustaining Treatment: Conceptually Incoherent And Impossible To Maintain, David Orentlicher
Scholarly Works
Richard Epstein, in his book Mortal Peril, supports euthanasia and assisted suicide and rejects the distinction between them and withdrawal of treatment. In this essay, Professor Orentlicher argues that Epstein is correct in finding no meaningful moral distinction between euthanasia and treatment withdrawal, examines the reasons why the distinction has persisted in American jurisprudence, and explains why the distinction has eroded.
Epstein also concludes in his book that there is no constitutional right to euthanasia or assisted suicide. Professor Orentlicher's response is that constitutionality is not the appropriate inquiry; rather, the better question is whether to recognize a right to …
The Future Of Physician-Assisted Suicide, Yale Kamisar
The Future Of Physician-Assisted Suicide, Yale Kamisar
Articles
I believe that when the Supreme Court handed down its decisions in 1997 in Washington v. Glucksberg and Vacca v. Quill, proponents of physician-assisted suicide (PAS) suffered a much greater setback than many of them are able or willing to admit.
Physician-Assisted Suicide: The Problems Presented By The Compelling, Heartwrenching Case, Yale Kamisar
Physician-Assisted Suicide: The Problems Presented By The Compelling, Heartwrenching Case, Yale Kamisar
Articles
Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld New York and Washington state laws prohibiting the aiding of another to commit suicide,2 the spotlight will shift to the state courts, the state legislatures and state referenda. And once again proponents of physician-assisted suicide (PAS) will point to a heartwrenching case, perhaps the relatively rare case where a dying person is experiencing unavoidable pain (i.e., pain that not even the most skilled palliative care experts are able to mitigate), and ask: What would you want done to you if you were in this person's shoes?
Constitutional Aspects Of Physician-Assisted Suicide After Lee V. Oregon, Simon Canick
Constitutional Aspects Of Physician-Assisted Suicide After Lee V. Oregon, Simon Canick
Faculty Scholarship
On November 8, 1994, Oregon voters narrowly passed the highly controversial Death with Dignity Act (Measure 16), which marked the first time that physician-assisted suicide was explicitly legalized anywhere in the world. In Lee v. Oregon, a group of physicians, several terminally ill persons, a residential care facility, and individual operators of residential care facilities sought to enjoin enforcement of the new law, claiming various constitutional infirmities. The U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon enjoined enforcement of the law, acknowledging that it raised important constitutional issues including possible violations of the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of …
Pain Relief For The Dying: The Unwelcome Intervention Of The Criminal Law, Phebe Saunders Haugen
Pain Relief For The Dying: The Unwelcome Intervention Of The Criminal Law, Phebe Saunders Haugen
Faculty Scholarship
This Article addresses physician-assisted suicide and the medical treatment of pain and suffering. Part II discusses various medical misconceptions about the treatment of pain and how modern medicine fails to fulfill this aspect of its palliative care role. Part III reviews how the law currently circumscribes the patient and doctor's ability to make medical decisions when the patient is terminally ill. As will be shown, the law is clearer and more respectful of good medical practice than most medical practitioners currently believe. Moreover, this section will also establish that, while several competing philosophical positions surrounding physician-assisted suicide exist, these same …
Assisted Suicide: The State Versus The People, John P. Safranek, Stephen J. Safranek
Assisted Suicide: The State Versus The People, John P. Safranek, Stephen J. Safranek
Seattle University Law Review
This Article will examine the Ninth Circuit's appeal to personal dignity and autonomy to justify a constitutional right of assisted suicide in the face of pluralist opposition, that is, a law duly enacted by a majority of elected representatives in a state or by the people directly. Scrutiny of the Ninth Circuit's decision will reveal the formidable jurisprudential obstacles to basing a right to assisted suicide on dignity and autonomy, obstacles the Supreme Court refused to overcome in revoking Compassion in Dying. This examination is divided into three parts: the first analyzes attempts to justify rights on the principle …
The Supreme Court And Terminal Sedation: Rejecting Assisted Suicide, Embracing Euthanasia, David Orentlicher
The Supreme Court And Terminal Sedation: Rejecting Assisted Suicide, Embracing Euthanasia, David Orentlicher
Scholarly Works
No abstract provided.
The Legalization Of Physician-Assisted Suicide: A Very Modest Revolution, David Orentlicher
The Legalization Of Physician-Assisted Suicide: A Very Modest Revolution, David Orentlicher
Scholarly Works
No abstract provided.
Making Sausage: The Ninth Circuit's Opinion, Carl E. Schneider
Making Sausage: The Ninth Circuit's Opinion, Carl E. Schneider
Articles
As I write, the Supreme Court has just agreed to hear Compassion in Dying v. Washington and Quill v. Vacco, the two cases in which United States circuit courts of appeals held that a state may not constitutionally prohibit physicians from helping a terminally ill person who wishes to commit suicide to do so. These cases have already received lavish comment and criticism, and no doubt the Supreme Court's opinion will garner even more. Reasonably enough, most of this analysis addresses the merits of physician-assisted suicide as social policy. I, here, want to talk about how setting bioethical policy …
It Started With Quinlan: The Ever Expanding 'Right To Die', Yale Kamisar
It Started With Quinlan: The Ever Expanding 'Right To Die', Yale Kamisar
Articles
Few rallying cries sound more straightforward than the "right to die"-but few are more fuzzy or more misunderstood. This becomes all too evident when comparing the right-to-die decision handed down by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this month and the New Jersey Supreme Court's decision in the Karen Ann Quinlan case twenty years ago. At different times, the "right to die" has embraced significantly different rights. On March 6, in Compassion in Dying v. Washington State, the Ninth Circuit held that because a Washington state statute prohibiting assisted suicide prevents physicians from providing assistance to competent, terminally …
Physician Assisted Suicide: A Bad Idea, Yale Kamisar
Physician Assisted Suicide: A Bad Idea, Yale Kamisar
Articles
It would be hard to deny that there is a great deal of support in this country - and ever-growing support - for legalizing physician-assisted suicide (PAS). Why is this so? I believe there are a considerable number of reasons. I shall discuss five common reasons - and explain why I do not find any of them convincing.
The Reasons So Many People Support Physician-Assisted Suicide - And Why These Reasons Are Not Convincing, Yale Kamisar
The Reasons So Many People Support Physician-Assisted Suicide - And Why These Reasons Are Not Convincing, Yale Kamisar
Articles
It would be hard to deny that there is a great deal of support in this country-and ever-growing support-for legalizing physician-assisted suicide (PAS). Why is this so? I believe there are a considerable number of reasons. In this article, I shall discuss five common reasons and explain why I do not find any of them convincing.