Euthanasia and Law in the Netherlands
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EUTHANASIA AND LAW IN THE NETHERLANDS EUTHANASIA AND LAW IN THE NETHERLANDS John Griffiths AlexBood Heleen Weyers Amsterdam University Press Cover design: In Petto / Stephanie de Witte, Amsterdam Typesetting: MAGENTA, Amsterdam ISBN 90 5356 275 3 © Amsterdam University Press,Amsterdam, 1998 All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the written permission of both the copyright owner and the authors ofthis book. Contents EXTE:-.JDED TABLE OF CO~TENTS IX UST OF FIGURES AND TABLES XVII ACKKOWLEDGL\1E:-.J1S I GLOSSARY 3 PROLOGUE: THE NETHERLANDS AND THE DUTCH 9 CHAPTER 1: INTRODL:CTIO:--J 15 1.1 What this book is about and for whom it is intended 15 1.2 The definition of'euthanasia' and of other 'medical behavior that shortens life' (MBSL) 17 1.3 A sketch of the current legal situation 18 lA Criticisms from abroad and the Dutch reaction 20 INIERI\1EZZO: THE DUTCH HEALTH CARE SYSTEM AND THE CARE OF TilE TER.'vIlNALLY ILL 31 A. The Dutch health-care system 31 B. Institutions for health care and care of the elderly 33 C. Health-care professionals 35 CHAPTER 2: LEGAL CHANGE 1945-1997 43 2.1 1945-1970: How room for public debate became available 44 2.2 1970-1982: The early stages of public debate 50 2.3 1982-1986: The breakthrough 61 2.3.1 The justification of necessity and the 'requirements of careful practice' 61 2.3.2 The definition of euthanasia and initial proposals for legislation 68 2.4 1986-1997: Efforts to codify emerging practice in legislation; broadening the subject of debate 73 2.5 Concluding remarks on the process of legal change 86 CHAPTER 3: THE CURRENT LEGAL SITUATIO:-J 89 3.1 A summary of current law concerning medical bchavior that shortens life 91 3.1.1 'Normal medical practice', the 'medical exception' and a 'natural death' 91 3.1.2 The concept 'medical behavior that shortens life' (MBSL) 92 3.1.3 Euthanasia 98 3.1.4 Euthanasia versus assistance with suicide III VI 3.2 The reporting procedure 114 3.3 The CAL and NVK reports: law in statu nascendi 118 3.3.1 The legitimacy of decisions to shorten life in the absence ofa competent request 119 3.3.2 Severely defective newborn babies (and late abortion) 123 3.3.3 Coma (PVS) patients 127 3.3.4 'Help in dying' 131 3.3.5 Assessment of the approach of the CAL and NVK reports 133 3.4 The demented elderly 134 3.5 Euthanasia in the absence of somatic suffering 139 3.5.1 Persons whose suffering is due to a psychiatric disorder 141 3.5.2 The legal horizon: assistance with suicide by the 11011- 'sick' and the nOI1-'suffering' 152 3.6 Conclusion 154 CHAPTER 4: THE TERMS Of DEBATE SINCE 1982 157 4.1 Distinguishing euthanasia from other MBSL 157 4.1.1 Killing versus letting die 158 4.1.2 Intentionally shortening life 162 4.1.3 Conclusion 166 4.2 The most important arguments since 1982 167 4.2.1 The principle of autonomy 168 4.2.2 The principle of beneficence 172 4.2.3 The principle of the sanctity of life 174 4.2.4 The slippery-slope argument 177 4.2.5 Control arguments 180 4.3 A fundamental difference of opinion? 182 4.3.1 The nature of a question of legal policy 182 4.3.2 A quest for common ground 184 4.3.3 The appeal to tolerance 186 4.3.4 Respect for life 189 4.3.5 Conclusion 195 CHAPTER 5: WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT MEDICAL PRACTICE AND ITS REGUl.ATION? 197 5.1 Public opinion concerning euthanasia and other MBSL 198 5.2 The first national survey: euthanasia by GPs and nursing-home doctors 202 5.3 Two major national surveys ofMBSL 207 5.3. I Euthanasia and other M13SL: frequencies, circumstances and characteristics 210 5.3.2 Termination of life without an explicit request 226 5.3.3 Severely defective newborn babies (and late abortion) 229 5.3.4 Psychiatric patients and patients with a psychiatric disorder 233 5.3.5 The control system and its operation in practice 236 vu 5.4 Other recent research 246 5.4.1 Communication between doctor and patient 246 5.4.2 The euthanasia policy ofhospitals and nursing homes 248 5.4.3 The role of pharmacists 251 5.4.4 Institutionalized, mentally handicapped patients 252 5.5 Summary and conclusions 252 CHAPTER 6: EUTHA:-JAS1A AND OTHER MEDICAL BEHAVIOR THAT SHORTENS LIFE AS A PROBLEM OF REGULATION 259 6.1 Criteria for a control system 259 6. I. I What are the objectives of legal control? 260 6.1.2 What should we expect of a regulatory regime? 264 6.2 Criminal law is the problem, not the solution 267 6.2.1 The regulatory situation recapitulated 268 6.2.2 The intrinsic unsuitability of criminal law 269 6.2.3 The impossibility of enforcing criminal prohibitions 274 6.2.4 Control in the context ofcriminal enforcement offers the doctor insufficient legal security 276 6.2.5 Can tinkering with the reporting procedure improve the effectiveness of criminal enforcement? 278 6.2.6 Would 'legalizing' euthanasia help? 282 6.2.7 A final verdict on criminal enforcement of legal requirements concerning MBSL 284 6.3 Decriminalization and the prospects of non-criminal enforcement 284 6.3.1 Legalization, decriminalization, and the 'medical exception' 285 6.3.2 A system of decriminalized enforcement 288 6.3.3 A uniform regulatory regime for all MBSL? 296 6.4 Conclusion 298 CHAPTER 7: TWO RFFLECTlOKS OK THE SIGNIHCA:-JCE OF THE DUTCH EXPERIENCE 299 7.1 Whither leads the slippery slope? 299 7.2 Is euthanasia law exportable? 304 APPENDIX I: SOl\1E RELEVANT LEGAL DOCUMENTS 307 A. Articles 40, 228(1),255,287,289,293,294 and 307 of the Criminal Code 307 B. The amendment to the Lawon the Disposal of Corpses and the Order in Council pursuant to the law 308 C. Some legislative proposals 314 1 The proposal ofthe State Commission on Euthanasia (1985) 314 2 The proposal of Wessel-Tuinstra (1984-1986) 316 3 The proposal of the Dutch Association for Voluntary Euthanasia (1996) 318 VIII APPE:-JDIX 1I: THREE LEADING CASES 321 1 Schoonheim (Supreme Court 1984) 322 2 Chabot (Supreme Court 1994) 329 3 Kadijk (Court ofAppeals, Leeuwarden, 1996) 341 LITERATURE 353 INDEX 377 Extended Table ofContents LIST OF FIGtJRES AND TABLES XVII ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1 GLOSSARY 3 PROLOGUE: THE NETHERLANDS AND TilE DUTCH 9 CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 15 1.1 What this book is about and for whom it is intended 15 1.2 The definition of'euthanasia' and of other 'medical behavior that shortens life' (MBSL) 17 1.3 A sketch of the current legal situation 18 1.4 Critici.sms from abroad and the Dutch reaction 20 INTERMEZZO: THE DUTCH HEALTH CARE SYSTEM AND THE CARE OF THE TERMINALLY ILL 31 A The Dutch health-care system 31 Public health 31 Access to health care 31 The costof health care 32 The organization ofhealthcare 32 B Institutions for health care and care of the elderly 33 Hospitals 33 Nursing homes (verpleeghuizen) 34 Residential homes (verzorgingshuizen) 34 Where dopeople die? 35 C Health-care professionals 35 Doctors 36 GeneralPractitionersthuisartsen) 37 Specialists 38 Nursing-home doctors 38 Nurses 38 Pharmacists 39 Coroners 39 The Medical InspectoratearidMedical Disciplinary Law 40 x CHAPTER 2: LEGAL CHANGE 1945-1997 43 2.1 1945-1970: How room for public debate became available 44 Introduction 44 The legalization ofabortion 45 Changes in medicalpractice in the 19605 46 The case ofMia Versluis: before terminating life-support a doctor must consult other doctors and informthepatient's family 47 The formulation ofnew ideas on the doctor-patient relationship 48 To sum up 49 2.2 1970-1982: The early stages of public debate 50 Introduction 50 Thefirstadvisory reports on euthanasia 50 The Postmacaseand othercases involvingviolation ofarticles 293 and 294 51 The report ofthe Medical Association of1975 54 A case ofindireet euthanasia' 54 The positions taken byvarious organizations 55 Doctors and euthanasia 56 Attention for assistance with suicide 57 The Wertheim case and prosecutorial policy 58 To sum up 60 2.3 1982-1986:The breakthrough 61 2.3.1 The justification of necessityand the 'requirements of careful practice' 61 Legal doctrines available for legitimizingeuthanasia 61 The Schoonheim case: euthanasiacan bejustifiable 62 The Pols case: euthanasiadoesnot fall within the 'medicalexception' 63 The reportof theMedicalAssociation of 1984: formulation of the 'requirements of careful practice' 65 TheAdmiraal case: a doctorwho met the 'requirements of careful practice' will be acquitted 66 2.3.2 The definition of euthanasia and initial proposals for legislation 68 Introduction 68 The HealthCouncilreport of 1982 68 The Wessel- Tuinstra bill 69 The StateCommission on Euthanasia 69 Euthanasia isnot a 'natural'causeof death 72 To sum up 73 2.4 1986-1997:Efforts to codify emerging practice in legislation; broadening the subject of debate 73 Introduction 73 Political responses to the report of the StateCommission 74 The reaction of the DutchAssociation for Voluntary Euthanasia 76 Prelude toa nationalstudy of MBSL 76 XI The Stinissen case:artificialfeeding is medical treatment 77 The report ofthe Remmelink Commission and the Government's reaction 78 The legislation of1993 79 The Chabot case:assistance with suicide in cases ofnon-somatic suffering 80 Reports on problematic categories ofMBSL 82 The Prins and Kadijk cases:termination oflife without an explicit request in the case ofseverely defective newborn babies 83 A second national study ofMBSL 84 Tosum up 85 2.5 Concluding remarks on the process of legal change 86 CHAPTER 3: THE CURRENT LEGAL SITUATlO!\' 89 3.1 A summary of current law