Law Commons^™

Terminal Ambiguity: Law, Ethics And Policy In The Assisted Dying Debate, Ruth C. Stern, J. Herbie Difonzo

J. Herbie DiFonzo

As we become proficient at prolonging life we also succeed in prolonging the dying process. Fear of pain and suffering at the end of life has led us on a search for ways to preempt the ordeal. This article examines the judicial, ethical and policy responses to the demand for legalized assisted suicide and euthanasia. Medically, end-of-life issues are extraordinarily complex, especially when compounded by factors such as undiagnosed or untreated depression and inadequate palliative care. Courts, in declining to recognize a ‘right to die’ have thrown us back on our own devices to fashion resolutions to this problem. The …