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New Exitorial
In recent weeks, three Exit Members have died in acts of 'elective, self-compassionate death' or rational suicide as some may call it.
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There have been the American sisters Lila Ammouri and Susan Frazier and Australian writer, Annah Faulkner.
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Their deaths have provoked a wide range of responses & have raised many issues.
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This week's Exitorial reflects on the aftermath of these three women's lives and deaths.
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Anthony Albanese & his Support
for the Right to Die
In 1996 in his first year in parliament, the now parliamentary leader of the Australian Labor Party made an extraordinary speech against the Euthanasia Laws Act (Kevin Andrews Act): the Act that would lead to the over-turning of the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act of the Northern Territory of Australia a few months later.
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As Australia heads to an election, and if polling is to be believed, Anthony Albanese is expected to become the next Prime Minister.
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While Exit takes no party political stance in terms of the 2022 election, it seems useful to remind Exit Members of the views of this man at this important time.
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Conspiracies Emerge
Did the Sisters really die in Switzerland?
Today The Daily Beast has published an interesting read on the conspiracy theories that surround the February death of Exit members, Lila Ammouri and Susan Frazier.
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Did they really die? Why did they say they were going to Dubai on vacation, only to go to Switzerland to die?
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The Daily Beast's new coverage of the mystery of the sisters raises as many questions as it answers.
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Oregon Drops Residency Requirement
This week has seen the news that the US State of Oregon (the first to legislate on assisted dying back in 1997 - 2 years later than Australia), is dropping the residency requirement within the Death with Dignity Act.
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On first glance, this move brings Oregon into line with Switzerland which accepts people for an assisted death from outside its jurisdiction. But alas, that is optimistic thinking.
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This is because, unlike in Switzerland, one must be 'terminally ill' to qualify to use the Oregon law.
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In Switzerland, it is the fact that assisted suicide is not a criminal offence (under certain conditions) that is critical. Swiss law depends on the motives of the person who helps, not the degree of illness of the person being assisted.
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Regardless of this, the Oregon change may allow Americans who are terminally ill and who live in states that have no end of life laws, to travel to that state to get help to die.
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It remains for the Oregon legislature to drop the residential requirement from the Death with Dignity Act.
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The change came about after a challenge to the constitutionality of the Death with Dignity Act. The US Constitution's 'Commerce Clause' forbids states from discriminating against citizens from other states in favour of their own citizens.
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A similar legal challenge could be mounted in Australia, on similar constitutional lines, at least for the Territories that seemed destined to be forgotten in the wave of law reform sweeping the country.
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Read the Associated Press report on the Oregon changes on the Exit Website.
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New Edition - Peaceful Pill eHandbook
In the coming months, Exit will publish complete re-write of the existing Peaceful Pill eHandbook.This is the first complete overhaul of the book since it was originally published online in 2008. The aim is to condense 554 pages to < 200 pages.
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Existing subscribers will have their subscriptions 'transfer' to the new Essentials Edition, while retaining their access to the 554 existing pages of the Peaceful Pill eHandbook (as per their existing subscription). A print 'Essentials Edition' will also be available.
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Aus 1300 10 3948 (EXIT) || US +1 360 961 1333 || UK +44 7883 509 765 || NZ +64 09 889 1137 || NL +31 6 23 82 95 82
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