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1995

Compassion in Dying v. Washington

Articles 1 - 4 of 4

Full-Text Articles in Other Law

Seeking Compassion In Dying: The Washington State Law Against Assisted Suicide, Edward J. Larson Jan 1995

Seeking Compassion In Dying: The Washington State Law Against Assisted Suicide, Edward J. Larson

Seattle University Law Review

From a constitutional standpoint, the decision by Judge Rothstein is more significant than the Oregon initiative because her reasoning calls into question statutes against assisted suicide that are currently in effect in most American states and are part of traditional Anglo-American law. Her ruling goes far beyond the Oregon initiative (now the Death With Dignity Act), which created a narrow statutory exception in the law against assisted suicide. It establishes a broad, new constitutional right that will restrict legislative efforts to address this controversial social issue. The decision was unprecedented; no prior court had limited a state's authority to outlaw …


Preface, Annette E. Clark Jan 1995

Preface, Annette E. Clark

Seattle University Law Review

On November 18, 1994, the Seattle University School of Law and the Seattle University Law Review proudly sponsored A Symposium on the Legal, Medical, Ethical, and Societal Issues Surrounding Physician-Assisted Death. This Symposium was notable not only for its timely subject matter, but also because it was the first of our annual symposia to be held under the auspices of our new parent institution, Seattle University. From the earliest planning stages, the Seattle University administration and academic community exhibited remarkable support and enthusiasm for this endeavor. The Symposium and this issue thus mark the beginning of what promises to be …


Physician-Assisted Suicide, Albert R. Jonsen Jan 1995

Physician-Assisted Suicide, Albert R. Jonsen

Seattle University Law Review

This Article briefly summarizes the history of the euthanasia debate in the United States, describes the classical arguments for and against euthanasia, examines the terms of the current debate, and concludes that while society may want to recognize a competent patient's right to escape the suffering of a terminal illness, it should do so with humility—and with caution.


Physician Aid In Dying: A Humane Option, A Constitutionally Protected Choice, Kathryn L. Tucker, David J. Burman Jan 1995

Physician Aid In Dying: A Humane Option, A Constitutionally Protected Choice, Kathryn L. Tucker, David J. Burman

Seattle University Law Review

This Article presents the argument that the Fourteenth Amendment protects the individual decision to hasten death with physician-prescribed medication and that statutes prohibiting physician-assisted suicide deny equal protection, guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment, to competent, terminally-ill adults who are not on life support.