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Germany: stem cell research “progresses”
Research into human embryo stem cells has been authorised in Germany since 2002 (see Germany and embryo stem cells; Germany: "yes" to the importation of embryo stem cells; Germany: importation of embryo stem cells extended), "without any...
Belgium: the spin-offs of abortion
In Belgium, the abortion law dated 3 April 1990 states that,"after the 12th week of pregnancy, abortion can only be carried out if it is certain that the unborn child will be affected by a severe abnormality acknowledged as incurable at the time of diagnosis". It is...
Nurse who refuses to administer euthanasia to her patients is forced to resign
In Ontario, Canada, a nurse, Mary Jean Martin, refused to administer euthanasia within the legal framework for assisted suicide. She has been forced to resign as a result. The addition of Law 84 to legislation authorising euthanasia "provides for doctors and...
Belgium: majority vote against the decriminalisation of abortion
Six draft bills have been proposed in Belgium. They all seek to review conditions for accessing abortion (see Belgium: first signs of reflection to relax abortion rules). The Justice Commission, which examined these conditions on Tuesday, has decided to postpone...
Charlie Gard: the ECHR authorises cessation of treatment
In the Charlie Gard case, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg has upheld "the decision of the British Courts and declared the application inadmissible". The Court stated that competent decisions had been taken by the domestic authorities and...
Assisted suicide in Canada: the Superior Court of Justice interprets the law more broadly
In Ontario, Canada, a 77 year-old female with osteoarthritis [1] has been authorised to "receive medical assistance to end her life". Diagnosed at the age of 43, she started intense treatment but, unable to tolerate any more suffering, she asked her doctor if she...
California: 111 assisted suicides in six months
This week, the California Public Health Department published its annual end-of-life report. "Assisted suicide" for terminally ill adults has been legally authorised since 9 June 2016 but the department must provide an annual report on the number of prescriptions for...
United Kingdom: abortion is now free of charge for women from Northern Ireland
On Thursday, 29 June, the British Government announced that, from now on, it was going to "finance abortions in England for women from Northern Ireland". As legislation in Northern Ireland authorises abortion only in cases where the mother's life is in...
“MAP without a father”: children conceived through gamete donation left out of the discussion
They should be "right at the heart of discussions", but they were not heard by the Comité Consultatif National d’éthique (CCNE) (French National Consultative Ethics Committee): the first generation of children conceived through anonymous gamete donation "are...
Obligation for all states to prevent recourse to abortion
During the European meeting “Preventing Abortion in Europe” , which took place in Brussels at the COMECE[1] last June 22nd”, Grégor Puppinck, Doctor of law and director of the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ- Strasbourg), reminded his audience...
Favourable opinion of the National Consultative Ethics Committee for Medically assisted procreation for all
This morning, the CCNE (French National Consultative Ethics committee) made public its opinion on MAP[1]. This opinion includes several decisions: Despite well-known reservations, it delivered a favourable opinion concerning “medically assisted procreation for...
Prenatal genetic selection, a contemporary form of racism
The ECLJ (European Court for Law and Justice) gave a lecture at the Human Rights Council in Geneva last June 20th, during an interactive dialogue on racism with the special rapporteur. He worked on “the contemporary forms of racism”, but according to the ECLJ he...