German Court Denies Seriously Ill Men's Right to Suicide Drug; Appeals Planned to Federal Constitutional Court

Federal Administrative Court upholds earlier rulings, says potential dangers of self-administered sodium pentobarbital outweigh right to self-determined death despite Germany's ambiguous law on assisted dying.

• Germany's Federal Administrative Court has ruled that two seriously ill men, one suffering the after-effects of cancer and the other from advanced multiple sclerosis, do not have the right to acquire lethal doses of sodium pentobarbital for assisted suicide.
• The Court agreed that denying the men access to the drug interferes with their right to a self-determined death, but argued that public safety and other interests outweigh this right.
• The court noted a 'realistic possibility' for individuals wishing to end their life to obtain lethal doses of suicide drugs via a doctor willing to assist on a non-business basis, hinting at alternative options.
• While actively taking someone's life is banned in Germany, providing passive help, such as supplying lethal drugs for self-administration, falls within a legal gray zone. The current case highlights the ambiguities and sensitivities surrounding euthanasia and assisted suicide in Germany.
• The plaintiffs plan to appeal this ruling to Germany's Federal Constitutional Court, marking the next stage in Germany's debate on assisted suicide and the right to self-determine one's death.

3 Articles

Deutsche Welle Washington Post Associated Press