The Dean of the Faculty of Law at a Belgian University has warned that laws permitting euthanasia cannot be introduced without endangering the lives and safety of patients, and that safeguards and controls introduced in any such legislation will not work.
Speaking at a press conference in Quebec, Professor Etienne Montero explained that it is difficult to maintain a strict interpretation of safeguards in a way that is consistent with the intentions of the legislator, and that once euthanasia is legalised, the boundaries of what is acceptable become wider.
Loneliness and loss of meaning
Giving an overview of the experience in Belgium, where euthanasia was introduced 11 years ago, the professor noted that most requests for the procedure do not flow from physical pain, but from psychological suffering, including loneliness, loss of meaning and weariness of life.
Whilst it was originally said that the Belgian law would not cover psychiatric, demented or depressed patients, the Belgian Control Commission (BCC) now permits euthanasia in such cases.
The legal requirement for severe and incurable disease and suffering is also interpreted very widely, with the BCC permitting the elderly to be euthanised on the basis of conditions that are not severe, such as arthritis or diminishing sight and hearing.
Pressured
He further highlighted the danger that vulnerable people with declining health would feel pressured and compelled to end their lives so as not to be a burden to family or society.
The Coalition of Physicians for Social Justice, which agrees with Professor Montero, said that his book Rendez-Vous with Death shows that safeguards in euthanasia laws do not work and that it is very difficult to set boundaries in law.
Children
“Now presently in Belgium they're going to pass a law to euthanise children,” said Dr Paul Saba of Physicians for Social Justice.
“They are already euthanising people who are depressed or tired of life because they have taken the interpretations of saying physical and/or psychological suffering - you don't have to have both, if you have one, why is that not enough? If you are suffering, it's a personal experience and it would be discriminatory for someone to judge what a person is suffering.
“What this teaches us is that despite the government's assurances that they will set very strict criteria, that won't work.”
Bill
Professor Montero’s speech comes after a bill to allow patients to request “medical aid to die” was introduced in Quebec’s National Assembly in June.
Dr Saba said that Quebec's Commission of Human Rights has given a legal opinion that refusing to permit 14 year olds to access euthanasia would amount to discrimination.
Sources:
Coalition of Physicians for Social Justice
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