Mr. Silvan Luley:

I disagree slightly with Professor Boer on one issue. He referred to assisted dying laws in the US. Yes, they only permit physician-supported assisted suicide but I do not think they serve as an example to compare with other countries that allow voluntary euthanasia for the simple reason that the laws of the US are very rigid. They only allow access to assisted suicide for people who are judged to be terminally ill - dying within six months. That is a very tight eligibility criterion that excludes upfront many people, particularly all people suffering from long-term ailments. We could start a discussion about whether it is just or whether it is discriminatory, etc., but the fact is that these laws in the US differ considerably from Dutch, Belgian, Swiss and Canadian laws regarding eligibility. I doubt if it makes that much difference whether beside assistance in suicide, you also legalise voluntary euthanasia but that might need deeper research into the topic.