New Zealand Legalizes Euthanasia as World Begins to Accept the Practice

In a late October referendum, New Zealanders voted in favor of legalizing euthanasia, the practice of allowing patients with an incurable and painful illness to terminate their life early. This binding act, which will go into effect on Nov. 6, 2021, will make New Zealand one of seven countries to permit the controversial practice. Assisted suicide, a similar practice which involves a physician aiding in ending a terminal patient’s life, is legal in a handful of jurisdictions, including Switzerland, Germany and several U.S. states.

The practice of euthanasia, while gaining support around the globe, is still considered controversial, especially among religious communities. The Roman Catholic Church, for instance, has condemned the practice, stating in the Catechism of the Catholic Church that: “Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable.” This opposition has resulted in a patchwork system of legal euthansia, assisted suicide or other means of voluntarily terminating one’s life.

New Zealand’s “End of Life Choice Act”

A view of Auckland, New Zealand’s most populous city. Pedro Szekely. CC BY-SA 2.0.

New Zealand’s referendum centered around whether or not the country should adopt the 2019 End of Life Choice Act. The law, which was originally introduced in October 2015 by member of Parliament David Seymour, permits voluntary euthanasia for patients confirmed by two doctors to have a terminal illness and be in the final six months of their lives.

“The motivation for this bill is compassion,” Seymour said in a press release from political party ACT New Zealand. “It allows people who so choose and are eligible under this bill to end their life in peace and dignity, surrounded by loved ones.”

While public opinion in New Zealand over the last two decades has averaged around 68% annually in support of legalized euthanasia, opponents to the practice have succeeded in shooting down similar legislation. Two iterations of the Death with Dignity Bill and a previous iteration of the End of Life Choice Bill, which outlined similar euthansia legalization statuses to the one voted on last month, failed to make it through Parliament in 1995, 2003 and 2012, respectively.

The main opposition force to euthanasia in New Zealand has been The Care Alliance, an organization which was created shortly after the introduction of the 2012 End of Life Choice Bill. It advocates for “better end-of-life care and assisted living services for people at the end of life or who require assistance to live” with the belief that “a compassionate and ethical response to suffering does not include euthanasia or assisted suicide.”

The current End of Life Choice Act is set to go into effect on Nov. 6, 2021, which allows for a one-year implementation period to take place immediately after the results of the referendum were finalized on Nov. 6, 2020.

Bans on Euthanasia Around the Globe

A crowd listens as Pope Francis delivers Sunday Angelus. Greg Sass. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

As of November 2020, euthanasia in any form is explicitly banned in countries on every continent. While each country has its own reasons for banning the practice, one standard which has inhibited further global legalization has been the United Nations’ International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states that “Every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life." This has been interpreted by many in opposition to euthanasia as a standard to abide by.

Many within the religious community have opposed euthanasia for years. Many denominations of Christianity, including Episcopalianism, Lutheranism, the Eastern Orthodox Church and the aforementioned Catholicism, have all condemned the practice as a form of murder.

While Islam does not explicitly prohibit euthanasia, the practice is considered to be in direct opposition to Islamic law. Several passages from the Quran have been interpreted in such a manner, including “And do not take any human being’s life—which Allah has made sacred save with right” and “Do not kill yourselves: for verily Allah is to you most merciful.” This has resulted in euthanasia being a crime in nearly all majority-Muslim countries.

Other world religions, such as Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism, are still debating the ethics of euthanasia. Generally, these debates center around a conflict between a divine right to life and the increasing trend toward global secularism.

Euthanasia’s Patchwork Legality

The flag of the World Health Organization. United States Mission Geneva. CC BY-ND 2.0.

Euthanasia in any form and assisted suicide are legal in at least one country on every continent except Africa. Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the Australian state of Western Australia are the most permissive places for euthanasia, allowing for the active form of the practice, which involves an incurably ill patient receiving terminal care.

Passive euthanasia, the practice of refusing medical treatment and receiving appropriate pain management, is more broadly legal, primarily in the Western world but also in India, South Korea, Argentina and Chile.

The Australian state of Victoria and the countries of Germany and Switzerland permit assisted suicide. This practice differs from both active and passive euthanasia in that a physician is not the one terminating a patient’s life, but rather aids a patient as they terminate their own life. In the United States, assisted suicide is legal in the District of Columbia, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont and Washington state. Additionally, the legal status of assisted suicide in Montana is disputed due to an unclear court ruling in 2009.

With the ongoing pandemic and renewed discussions on the ethics of ending one’s life, euthanasia remains a hotly debated issue which likely will not go away any time soon.

Jacob Sutherland

is a recent graduate from the University of California San Diego where he majored in Political Science and minored in Spanish Language Studies. He previously served as the News Editor for The UCSD Guardian, and hopes to shed light on social justice issues in his work.

Malaysian Princess Condemns Suicide Criminalization

Malaysia is one of three Southeast Asian countries that still criminalizes suicide. To fight stigmas, mental health advocates have been pushing for reform and a more efficient health care system.

Pedestrians milling about a street market in Kuala Lumpur. Trey Ratcliff. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

On Sept. 10, World Suicide Prevention Day, Malaysian Princess Tengku Puteri Iman Afzan was appointed as the country’s international patron for World Mental Health Day 2020. This nomination was an encouraging sign for Malaysian mental health advocates for many reasons.

As a former British colony, Malaysia has codified an antiquated law criminalizing suicide. In Section 309 of Malaysia’s Penal Code, those who attempt and survive suicide must serve one year in prison, pay a fine, or both. Almost 60% of Malaysia’s population practices Islam, and suicide goes against the religion’s belief in the sanctity of life. Despite the stigma of suicide as a “sin,” a national study estimates that every day 10 people take their own lives. Subsequently, many human rights groups like the National Human Rights Society (HAKAM) and Minda are dedicated to raising mental health awareness and literacy. Activists hope that proper education will dispel the negative stereotypes that are preventing many from seeking the help they need.

Worshippers outside of a mosque in Malaysia. Firdaus Latif. CC BY-SA 2.0.

In an interview with The Guardian, chairman Justin Victor of emotional support hotline group Befrienders Kuala Lumpur, said that criminalization “is a deterrent to being able to speak about [suicide] openly.” Many individuals who survive are reluctant to seek help, fearing they could be charged again.

In the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown, the need for mental health care reform was made more apparent. Shahfirul Hakim Shahidan, 28, attempted suicide after facing unemployment. He was charged with “inconveniencing” others and fined 3,000 ringgit ($720). If Shahidan failed to pay, he would be jailed. The sentence was met with public outcry. Minds First, a youth group advocating for mental health awareness, organized a Change.org petition demanding the decriminalization of suicide. In its statement, the group argued that the “criminalization of suicide punishes those who need help and prevents them from getting the support they need.”

As of Oct. 11, the petition had gained nearly 19,000 signatures.

The skyline of Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur. Salehi Hassan. CC BY-NC 2.0.

Quarantine isolation has exacerbated existing mental health challenges. Befrienders Kuala Lumpur reported an increase in calls when the government first enforced social distancing measures. Publicity director Ardy Ayadali explained, “Being in isolation increases the fear and helplessness that someone feels … when someone is isolated in crowded families or spaces, the environment can get toxic.”

During the pandemic, however, Malaysia also launched its first mental health helpline for children. Buddy Bear is a hotline that lets children discuss whatever social and emotional issues they have, and gives advice on how they can deal with them. With professionally trained volunteers, children learn how to articulate and understand their feelings with a healthy approach.

Accordingly, many felt that Iman’s appointment would aid Malaysia’s advocacy work in mental health care. The princess has also struggled with anxiety and shared that although she is no longer ashamed of her troubles, she also knows “what it’s like to feel disempowered.” Iman noted that stigma was one of the biggest hurdles and applauded Malaysians’ struggle to attain mental health rights. During her acceptance speech, the princess publicly called for the decriminalization of suicide.

Rhiannon Koh

earned her B.A. in Urban Studies & Planning from UC San Diego. Her honors thesis was a speculative fiction piece exploring the aspects of surveillance technology, climate change, and the future of urbanized humanity. She is committed to expanding the stories we tell.

Mexico City Outlaws LGBTQ+ Conversion Therapy

Mexico City’s regional congress passed a bill which outlaws gay conversion therapy on Friday, July 24. This makes the capital city the first municipality in Mexico to do so, marking a major victory for the country’s LGBTQ+ community.

Conversion therapy is the pseudoscientific practice of attempting to change or alter an individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. The practice has been criticized for treating LGBTQ+ identities as mental illnesses and for leading those who undergo the therapy to be at a heightened risk for depression, suicide, HIV, sexually transmitted diseases and the use of illicit drugs.

The new law, which imposes up to five years’ imprisonment for conversion therapy providers, was passed during one of the regional body’s virtual sessions. The law also states that higher punishments will be given to providers who attempt to impose the practice on minors.

In an interview with online magazine Them, activist Enrique Torre Molina spoke on the importance of the law’s passage in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality in Mexico.

“Over the past few years I've come to know many — too many — stories of LGBTQ+ people who survived ‘conversion therapy’ and torture, or who have stepped away from their families who believed they could and should ‘change,’” Torre said. “It's exciting to witness this historic win. Our community deserves love and respect.”

President of Mexico City’s Human Rights Commission Nashieli Ramírez echoed Torre’s sentiments in an interview with El Universal.

“These practices are equivalent to torture,” Ramírez said in Spanish. “We’re saying that these practices are generally done to minors without a valid principle, because homosexuality and transgender identities are not diseases.”

This latest law is not the first time Mexico City has pushed the country toward greater LGBTQ+ inclusivity. On March 13, 2004, the city amended its civil code to allow for transgender citizens to change their name and sex on their birth certificates. Likewise, the city became the first Latin American municipality to legalize same-sex marriage on December 21, 2009.

Activists around the world have increasingly pushed for the ban of LGBTQ+ conversion therapy over the past decade. Manvendra Singh Gohil, an openly gay Indian prince, has been a vocal proponent for India to outlaw the practice.

“I was myself a victim of conversion therapy,” Gohil said in an interview with Forbes. “When I came out, the first thing [my parents] tried to do was convert me. They wouldn’t accept me as a gay child.”

The United Nations called for a universal ban on the practice in June. However, only five countries as of this article’s publication outlaw the practice, with Germany joining Malta, Ecuador, Brazil and Taiwan in doing so in May. In the United States, 20 states and a number of municipalities have outlawed the practice, although support for such a measure at the federal level has been mixed.

The Mexico City law went into effect on July 31 and could serve as a precedent for future laws to be passed within other Mexican states and jurisdictions.

Jacob

Sutherland

is a recent graduate from the University of California San Diego where he majored in Political Science and minored in Spanish Language Studies. He previously served as the News Editor for The UCSD Guardian, and hopes to shed light on social justice issues in his work.