Panelists:
Nancy Berlinger, PhD, MDiv (The Hastings Center)
K. Sonu Gaind, MD (University of Toronto)
Thaddeus Mason Pope, JD, PhD (Mitchell Hamline School of Law)
Moderated by: Susan M. Wolf, JD (University of Minnesota)
Francis X. Shen, JD, PhD (University of Minnesota)
Abstract: Ten states and the District of Columbia currently have statutes on the books or a court decision that authorizes medical aid in dying (often called MAID) for adults who are terminally ill. Many additional states, including Minnesota, are debating similar legislation. First legalized in 1994 under the Oregon Death with Dignity Act (which went into effect in 1997), these state statutes authorize doctors to prescribe lethal medication that the patient may choose to take. No US state statute authorizes euthanasia. Evolution of state law continues, including reexamination of the state residency requirements.
In 2016, Canada authorized both provision of a lethal prescription and euthanasia. Starting in 2027, Canada plans to enlarge eligibility to patients whose only underlying condition is a mental illness. Canada has faced significant pushback from human rights advocates and disability rights organizations, suggesting the nation’s legal framework lacks the necessary oversight and safeguards to protect vulnerable populations.
University of Minnesota Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment & the Life Sciences
NOTE: This panel discussion will complement the lecture presented by Madeline Li, MD, in Pitt’s Center for Bioethics and Health Law / Department of Medicine Bioethics Grand Rounds on April 16. The recording of that lecture is available here.
Location and Address
Online