Monday, April 12, 2021

Washington State: Conrad Reynoldson Makes a Difference

By Margaret Dore, Esq.

Bill HB 1141, which had sought to expand Washington State's assisted suicide and euthanasia law, is dead. From my vantage point, a big reason was a young lawyer named Conrad Reynoldson (pictured here).  

Reynoldson is founder and lead attorney of Washington Civil & Disability Advocate, a 501(c)(3) tax exempt non-profit, formed to ensure individuals with disabilities a low-cost option to protect their civil rights.

Reynoldson, himself, did not take the credit, sending out an email thanking others for the win. 

Washington State Expansion Bill Dead

By Barbara Lyons (pictured here)

The Washington State expansion of assisted suicide bill, HB 1141, is dead. It passed in the House by a 60-37 vote and cleared several Senate committees.  

Thanks to the dedicated, persistent work of a diverse coalition of people in the disability rights, medical, right-to-life and faith communities, the Senate adjourned last night without taking up the bill. It is dead for this session.  

Jersey Debates Euthanasia

Jersey is a British Crown dependency, near the coast of Normandy France.  

The law on assisted dying [euthanasia] in Jersey is being reviewed by a Citizen's Jury, and it is expected to start a conversation which could lead to a debate on the law in Jersey's States Assembly.

The panel is made up of 23 members who will hear evidence on both sides of the assisted dying debate before reaching a conclusion by the end of May 2021. 

Saturday, April 10, 2021

French Euthanasia Bill Blocked

Republican Party (France) - Wikipedia

By Hannah Thompson 

To view original article, click here.

The Social Affairs Commission had debated and voted for the bill, but it has now been blocked by 3,000 amendments.

A proposal to legalise assisted dying for people with incurable diseases has been blocked in the French parliament, largely by five opposition party MPs.

The MPs from the opposition party Les Républicains submitted 2,158 amendments to the bill, of a total of 3,000. This means the proposal is very unlikely to be adopted as planned on Thursday April 8.

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Latvia Parliament Rejects Euthanasia Initiative

Latvia's parliament, the Saeima, has rejected the “For Good Death” initiative, which had called for the legalization of euthanasia. 49 members voted in favor of rejection, 38 against, two abstained.

At the beginning of February, the public initiative portal Manabalss.lv collected the necessary 10,000 signatures on an initiative to legalize euthanasia in Latvia. 

Previously, the citizens' initiative on euthanasia legalization was rejected by the Saeima Mandate, Ethics and Submissions Commission. 

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Portugal Euthanasia Bill Declared Unconstitutional

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by Filipe Avillez. For original article click here

Portugal’s euthanasia bill has been declared unconstitutional by the country’s top court.

Parliament initially approved five proposed laws on euthanasia in February 2020, these were then streamlined into a single bill which was approved by the house and sent to the President, who had the option of signing it outright, vetoing it or sending it to the constitutional court. He chose the latter, asking the judges to look specifically at issues with the terminology.

Pro-euthanasia parties – mostly left-wing, with the notable exception of the Communist Party, which has come out firmly against euthanasia – ignored the opinions of every expert organization in approving the law, including the doctors’, nurses’ and lawyers’ guilds and the ethics committee.

Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Margaret Dore: The "Oregon Experience," Ann Jackson, and Why the Proposed Right to Die Must Be Rejected in South Africa

Below please find Margaret Dore's expert witness memorandum, prepared for a South Africa court case, Suzanne Walter v. Ministry of Health. See also the comment below from a South African advocate:  
A number of the points made by you are incisive and helpful. I found your interpretation of section 27 of the Constitution particularly useful.... The argument will, amongst others, find its way into the final legal argument before the High Court, and the courts that follow.

To view Dore's original memorandum, click here. To view the memorandum's three-part appendix, click part 1, part 2 and part 3.  

Friday, February 26, 2021

Hearing Today: Tell the Connecticut Public Health Committee to Reject Assisted Suicide & Euthanasia

Dore with Elaine Kolb

"Don't render yourselves, and the people you care about, sitting ducks to heirs and other predators."

By Margaret Dore, Esq.

To read Dore's analysis opposing Raised Bill No. 6425, with supporting documentation, click here and here.

1.    The Bill

The proposed bill, "An Act Concerning Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill," seeks to legalize “aid in dying,” which is a euphemism for active euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide.[1] 
2. Who May Be Most at at Risk?
Individuals with money, meaning the middle class and above. 

Saturday, February 20, 2021

Portugal's Euthanasia Law Goes For Constitutional Review


LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Portugal’s president on Thursday asked the country’s Constitutional Court to evaluate a recent law passed by parliament that allows euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill and gravely injured people.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said in a statement the legislation appears “excessively imprecise,” potentially creating a situation of “legal uncertainty.” 

Lawmakers three weeks ago approved by a significant majority the final wording of the bill, following almost a year of discussions to detail administrative procedures and other aspects of the procedures. The bill then went to the head of state, who had to decide whether to approve the law, veto it or send it to the Constitutional Court for review. 

Rebelo de Sousa said the bill also raises a series of questions about the constitutionality of “such a complex and controversial issue.” 

Parliament can override a presidential veto by voting a second time for approval.  

Thursday, January 7, 2021

Montana: New Bill to Overturn Assisted Suicide

  

By Margaret Dore, Esq., MBA

Senator Carl Glimm will be introducing a new bill to overturn Montana's Baxter decision.  

The purpose will be to clarify once and for all that physician-assisted suicide is not legal in Montana. 

To learn more, view our Montana page at this link.

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Lockdowns Result in Deaths of Isolation

"Is this the rest of my life? If so, I don't want to go on."

This is one of the many heartbreaking questions asked of Dr. Louise Aronson, a geriatric doctor from San Francisco, who works with elderly patients who are stuck in isolation....

"Sometimes the doors to their rooms are open, and you just see someone sitting in a chair with tears running down their face," Aronson said, according to NBC News. 

Chester Peske, a resident of a long-term care facility in Minnesota, contracted COVID-19, and though he was asymptomatic, he died shortly thereafter. His death wasn't due to the virus, however. The cause of death was listed as "social isolation/failure to thrive related to COVID-19 restrictions" in combination with his progressing Alzheimer's disease...

To read full article, click here.