Asking to Die: Inside the Dutch Debate about Euthanasia
Editors: Thomasma, D.C., Kimbrough Kushner, T., Kimsma, G.L., Ciesielski-Carlucci, C. (Eds.)
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- About this book
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claim was that he had faced a conflict of duties pitting his legal duty not to kill against his duty as a physician to relieve his patient’s unbearable suffering. He was acquitted on the important grounds of conflict of duty. These grounds are based on a concept in Dutch law called "force majeure" 4 which recognizes extenuating circumstances such as conflicts of duty. The acquittal was upheld by the Lower Court of Alkmaar, but revoked by an Amsterdam court of appeal. The case went on to the Supreme Court, but before the Supreme Court's decision was issued, the Royal Dutch Medical Association (RDMA) attempted to clarify the criteria for euthanasia that many within the profession already accepted. The RDMA proposed that physicians be permitted to perform euthanasia provided that a set of procedures had been met. Variously stated, the guidelines contain the following central provisions: Voluntary, competent, explicit, and persistent requests on the part of the • patient; Requests based on full information; • The patient is in a situation of intolerable and hopeless suffering (either • physical or mental); No further acceptable alternatives to euthanasia. All alternatives • acceptable to the patient for relief of suffering having been tried; Consultation with at least one other physician whose judgment can be • 5 expected to be independent. Indirectly, these guidelines became the criteria prosecutors used to decide whether or not to bring charges.
- Table of contents (42 chapters)
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Prologue
Pages 1-2
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The Dutch Definition of Euthanasia
Pages 3-4
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Twenty-Five Years of Dutch Experience and Policy on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide: An Overview
Pages 19-34
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Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide in the Netherlands and the USA: Comparing Practices, Justifications and Key Concepts in Bioethics and Law
Pages 35-70
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Physician Assisted Suicide in Psychiatry: An Analysis of Case Law and Professional Opinions
Pages 71-91
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Table of contents (42 chapters)
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Bibliographic Information
- Bibliographic Information
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- Book Title
- Asking to Die: Inside the Dutch Debate about Euthanasia
- Editors
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- David C. Thomasma
- Thomasine Kimbrough Kushner
- G.L Kimsma
- C. Ciesielski-Carlucci
- Copyright
- 1998
- Publisher
- Springer Netherlands
- Copyright Holder
- Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
- eBook ISBN
- 978-0-306-46863-6
- DOI
- 10.1007/978-0-306-46863-6
- Softcover ISBN
- 978-0-7923-5186-3
- Edition Number
- 1
- Number of Pages
- XX, 588
- Topics
