Legal Definitions - assisted suicide

Assisted suicide, also known as physician-assisted suicide (PAS), is a method where a doctor provides medical supplies and prescription medications to a terminally ill person to end their life. This can be done through sleeping pills or other drugs that allow the person to die peacefully.

For example, in the case of People v Kevorkian, Dr. Kevorkian helped dozens of terminally ill patients end their lives by setting up a machine that allowed them to press a button to deliver poison to their veins. However, this action was highly controversial and criticized by the public.

Assisted suicide is illegal in many states, including New York, where it is prohibited under NYS Penal Law S125.15(3). The Supreme Court decision in Washington v Gluckberg also held that assisted suicide is not a fundamental right and is not protected under the due process clause.

However, some states, like Oregon, have recognized the right to physician-assisted suicide through death with dignity statutes. These laws allow terminally ill individuals to end their lives if they choose to do so.

It is important to note that assisted suicide is never legal if it is involuntary or if the patient is unable to consent to life-ending measures.