Selbstbestimmtes Sterben? Zur Debatte um den medizinisch assistierten Suizid

For years, there has been a debate in Germany about medically assisted suicide. In its ruling of February 20, 2020, the Federal Constitutional Court laid the groundwork for this. In its reasoning, the Court cites the high value placed on the right to self-determination and the free development of personality, which includes the right to die on one’s own terms, even with the assistance of third parties. However, the state’s duty to protect may take precedence if it is determined that the person concerned is subject to external influences that restrict their self-determination. In his lecture, Prof. Dr. Helmut Frister, Senior Professor of Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf and Chair of the German Ethics Council, will address the current debate surrounding a draft bill and the legal and ethical challenges it raises.