May 21, 2016
From Voluntary Euthanasia to Rational Suicide? Exit’s 20th Anniversary Conference
The forthcoming Exit 20th Anniversary conference is titled ‘From Voluntary Euthanasia to Rational Suicide’.
But what are we talking about?
Generally speaking, VE – voluntary euthanasia is the catch-all term that means an assisted death. Euthanasia comes from the Greek, meaning good death.
Voluntary speaks for itself (although as some Christian groups would argue, there is nothing voluntary about it. Silly them).
In more technical talk, however, voluntary euthanasia can also mean a lethal injection. This is when a doctor can lawfully help a person to die. Hands on help, if you like. This is the model used in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
In Darwin in 1996, this is kind of what Dr Philip Nitschke did when he helped four patients to die under the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act (ROTI).
Although Dr Nitschke built a Deliverance Machine so he would not have to administer the lethal injection. While Dr Nitschke believed passionately in a person’s right to choose to die. He did not want to be the one doing the ‘killing’.
The Rights of the Terminally Ill Act lasted nine months before being over turned by the Federal Parliament of Australia in March 1997, as a result of a conscience vote. The Private Members Bill that led to the defeat of the NT’s law was Mr Kevin Andrews.
As a kind of semantic difference to VE sits Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS) which has more recently morphed into to VAD – Voluntary Assisted Dying.
Each of these latter terms involve a physician prescribing a lethal drug to a patient. The patient however must be able to drink the lethal drug themselves. There is no hands-on assistance. This is the legal model in the US states of Oregon, Washington, Vermont and California. Canada too will follow this approach.
Regardless of what term you use, all of these involve the medical profession.
Exit International works alongside these legal frameworks by providing information about euthanasia, assisted suicide, or whatever you would like to call it.
Moving on 20 years and we have arrived at ‘rational suicide’.
Rational suicide can be defined as the act of dying by one’s own hand after careful consideration.
Rational Suicide is an informed and considered decision (unlike the irrational suicide of depressed teens).
Rational Suicide does not depend upon the medical profession providing permission or the means of death.
Two recent examples of rational suicide are that of renowned psychology Professor in the US, Sandy Bem. See the New York Times article.
In Australia, scientists Peter and Pat Shaw rationally suicided together. This was written about in detail in the Sydney Morning Herald in January 2016.
To this end, Exit is holding its 20th anniversary conference on the journey that has been undertaken from a time when a patient could receive a lethal injection from a doctor, to now when a person can rationally plan when and how they will die without medical interference.
The Exit Conference that will be held at the State Library of Victoria on 22 – 23 September 2016 features speakers who have much to contribute to how we can understand the right to die debate.
Australian historian Dr Deb Campbell will examine how the Australian right to die debate has become stultified in old frameworks of understanding and a discourse that is going nowhere.
US Law Professor Susan Stefan will consider if rational suicide / assisted dying is a medical treatment or a civil right.
Dr Lieve Thienpont, a Belgium psychatrist will explain how rational suicide is provided for under Belgium’s voluntary euthanasia laws.
Ms Anny Shaw, daughter of Peter and Pat Shaw, shall speak about her and her sisters’ experience of her parents rational suicide pact.
If you are in Melbourne in September you are invited to come along.
This historic conference is destined to be a gathering like none other.
Fiona Stewart, PhD MPolLaw LLB
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