Realwomen of BC - Archives - February2007

THE REAL NEWS The R.E.A.L WOMEN of BC Newsletter February 2007, P.O. Box 39068, Point Grey RPO, Vancouver, BC V6R 4P1, Tel/Fax: 604- 463-1611, website: http://www.realwomen.bc.ca
Suicide a Human Right? In Switzerland a person has a right to determine the way and the time of his death according to the Swiss Federal Court which acknowledged that such autonomy is a European human right. This right of self-determination of one’s death is extended to the mentally ill, as long as such a person has the capacity of discernment. After contacting one place of authority after another, a mentally ill man, a member of Dignitas (an organization that, for a fee, provides a safe house for, and assistance with, suicide), took his complaint all the way to the Swiss Federal Court claiming a right to access to a certain drug to help him commit suicide. The individual did not have a physical illness but rather is depressed from bipolar disease. Because of legal implications, no physician would write a prescription for the drug Sodium Pentobarbital which ensures a risk free suicide. The Federal Court stated as follows: “The right of self-determination in the sense of article 8(1) in the European Convention of Human Rights includes the right to decide on the way and the point in time of ending ones own life; providing the affected person is able to form his/her will freely and act thereafter.” The Court further stated that utmost care needed to be exercised to differentiate between a person that can receive help through medical/psychiatric intervention and a lucid person that wishes to die after carefully considering the lasting effects of such a decision (called “balance suicide”). General Secretary of DIGNITAS, Ludwig a Minelli, stated that with the Swiss Federal Court declaring accompanied suicide as a human right, people from other countries were now free to travel to Switzerland to avail themselves of this service without being hindered by “special rules.” Mr. Minelli is now hoping that other countries, especially Germany, Great Britain and France will follow suit and thereby lessening the work load of the Swiss involved in this “health” service.