Judge Overturns California’s Assisted Death Law

Many doctors were not impressed with the law and filed a lawsuit.

A judge has ruled in favor of doctors who objected to California’s assisted death law and overturned it, according to the Sacramento Bee in “California assisted death law overturned in court.”

The doctors argued that the law did not adequately define terminal illness, for it to be clear which patients were eligible for physician assistance. The law also exempted people who helped patients with death from liability. The doctors complained that the law was not passed by the legislature following the appropriate procedure. The judge agreed with these claims.

Supporters of the law point out that the ruling was not about the legality of physician-assisted death itself.  As a result, California has subsequently filed an appeal of the court’s ruling.

The law, which was passed in 2015, allowing the practice has been observed carefully by advocates and detractors, who thought it was a good opportunity to see how it would work, especially since the law contained important provisions concerning record keeping and reporting.

Reference: Sacramento Bee (May 15, 2018) “California assisted death law overturned in court.”