Dutch legalization of assisted suicide sparks international
debate In 1984 the Dutch Supreme Court ruled voluntary
euthanasia was acceptable, provided doctors followed strict
guidelines. But, under Dutch criminal law, physicians could
still face prosecution. In the fall 2000, the Dutch parliament
voted to formally legalize the practice, making the Netherlands
the first nation in the world to do so. While experts estimate
60% of assisted suicide cases are not reported, figures show
doctors helped 2,216 Dutch patients die in 1999. Most had
cancer. Supporters see the law as humane, allowing patients to
end their suffering and die with dignity when there is no longer
any hope of recovery. They also say that as medicine advances,
patients can be kept alive indefinitely as vegetables, without
any hope of recovery. To keep patients alive who are lingering
in excruciating pain is cruel, many ethicists contend. Critics
Fear Abuse Critics charge the right to die could quickly become
"the duty to die," pressuring on the