A reply to John Keown’s criticism of the effectiveness of the assisted dying regimes in the Netherlands and in Oregon ... : A reply to John Keown’s criticism of the effectiveness of the assisted dying regimes in the Netherlands and in Oregon ...

This paper discusses John Keown’s argument whereby the available data concerning the practice of assisted dying in the Netherlands and in Oregon proves that the laws and guidelines adopted to prevent unlawful abuses are clearly ineffective. In his opinion, the main issues concern the following safeguards: request; type of suffering; consultation and reporting procedure. However, a close scrutiny of Keown’s empirical remarks will show that his conclusions are erroneous as they rely on a misinterpretation either of specific provisions (e.g. unbearable suffering in the Netherlands) or of the evid... Mehr ...