Euthanasia in the Netherlands
Foreign observers might have the impression that it is always open season for euthanasia in the Netherlands. Not so. While the guidelines are elastic and subject to interpretation, they do exist and people violating them risk prosecution.
Two of this week’s stories reflect this. In one, police have arrested a man who, they said, was selling lethal medication for suicide; in the other, the euthanasia bureaucracy and the public prosecutor are fighting over who makes the rules: the bureaucrats or the government.
Michael Cook
Problems
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Michael Cook edits BioEdge, a bioethics newsletter, and MercatorNet, an on-line magazine whose focus is human dignity. He writes from Sydney, Australia.
Latest posts by Michael Cook (see all)
- How long can you put off seeing the doctor because of lockdowns? - December 3, 2021
- House of Lords debates assisted suicide—again - October 28, 2021
- Spanish government tries to restrict conscientious objection - October 28, 2021
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