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Being “tired of life” is not grounds for euthanasia

BMJ 2003; 326 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.326.7380.71/b (Published 11 January 2003) Cite this as: BMJ 2003;326:71
  1. Tony Sheldon
  1. Utrecht

    In a landmark decision the Dutch Supreme Court has ruled that doctors may not perform euthanasia or help with suicide unless the request comes from a patient suffering from a medically classifiable physical or psychiatric sickness or disorder. Simply being “tired of life” is no basis for doctors to act.

    In what the media have branded the “tired of life case,” the limits of euthanasia practice have been defined, after the case took two years to reach the highest court in the land. The decision has been welcomed by the Royal Dutch Medical Association for …

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