Vienna: Austria’s parliament approved legalizing assisted suicide from January. Earlier a year ago, the Constitutional court in the country had ruled that the ban on assisted suicide is a breach fundamental human rights and asked government to lift it.
According to the new law passed by the parliament, adults who are terminally ill or suffer from a permanent, debilitating condition will be able to access help ending their own lives. Each case will be assessed by two doctors, one of whom would have to be an expert in palliative medicine. Also, at least 12 weeks will have to pass before access is granted to make sure euthanasia is not being sought due to a temporary crisis. This period will be shortened to two weeks for patients in the ‘terminal phase’ of an illness.
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Assisted suicide has been decriminalized in Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Spain.
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