assisted suicide
As noted in the Supreme Court of New Mexico case Morris v. Brandenburg , assisted suicide is the act of actively aiding other people in the taking of their own lives. Physician-assisted suicide , a subset of assisted suicide, involves the assistance of a physician.
In Vacco v. Quill , the United States Supreme Court ruled that assisted suicide is different from withdrawing life-sustaining treatment. The Court noted that most states have statutes that impose criminal penalties on people who assist others to commit suicide. In addition, patients have well-established, traditional rights to bodily integrity and freedom from unwanted physical contact. In both Washington v. Glucksberg and Vacco , the Court opined that the prohibition on assisted suicide stems from significant public interests that include prohibiting intentional killing and preserving life; preventing suicide; ensuring that physicians are healers; protecting vulnerable groups; and avoiding a possible slide towards euthanasia .
[Last reviewed in March of 2024 by the Wex Definitions Team ]
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