Debate about the new euthanasia law – salzburg.ORF.at
politics
The new euthanasia law will come into force on January 1st, after which assisted suicide is legally permitted in Austria. Legal ethicists and representatives of the hospice movement warn against rash decisions.
From January it will be possible to support people who no longer want to live in their suicide. An outside third party provides a deadly remedy that the dying person, who wants to put an end to their life, has to take himself.
Help in the event of a crisis
Reports of (potential) suicides can worsen the situation in people in crisis. The Psychiatric Immediate Aid offers advice and support around the clock on 01/313 30 in the event of a crisis.
The Austria-wide telephone counseling service can also be reached free of charge at any time at 142. Help for adolescents and young adults can also be found on line 147 at number 147.
Up until now, assisting suicide, like killing on demand, was prohibited in Austria and was punished with a sentence of six months to five years in prison for violations. The Constitutional Court, however, classified the unexceptional ban on assisted suicide as unconstitutional and decided that assisted suicide will no longer be punished from 2022 – doctors and bishops are dismayed – euthanasia ruling: bishops dismayed (salzburg.ORF.at ; 12.12.2020).
Legal ethicist: The law is not a panacea
The new euthanasia law is due to come into force on January 1, 2022 – but there is still no draft of the new law, which will then also regulate the details of assisted suicide. Legal ethicist Jürgen Wallner warns against seeing a law as a panacea. No law in the world can regulate the conditions under which people may pass out of life. “It’s about doing justice to individual people without putting them under pressure, they mustn’t find themselves in a predicament and see no alternatives. This is a permanent challenge, ”says legal ethicist Wallner.
Many key questions still open
A very central question is also open, which deals with how seriously ill a person has to be in order to be able to demand assisted suicide or whether it is justifiable for doctors to prescribe lethal drugs.