Adults in Austria who are terminally ill or have a permanent, debilitating condition, can now avail of assisted suicide. [1] The new law came into effect on Saturday. In countries like Belgium and Netherlands, the numbers availing of assisted suicide have increased massively [2] since its introduction and the grounds have expanded under which a person can access it.
Parliament approved the new law in December, following a constitutional court ruling on the issue.
The new rules explicitly exclude minors or those with mental health conditions.
An absolute ban on assisted suicide was lifted by a federal court last year, which ruled that it “violated the right of self-determination”.
But the legal punishment up to that point, up to five years in prison, will remain in place for those who kill another person at their “serious and emphatic request”.