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Italy legislature to hold right-to-die vote despite comatose woman's death

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Italian lawmakers have said they still plan to vote on legislation that would make it a crime to remove a feeding tube from a comatose patient, despite the death Monday of Eluana Englaro, the woman whose case gave rise to the bill. Following the announcement of the death, Italian health minister Maurizio Sacconi said debate and voting on the bill was still important to prevent the death from "being in vain." Englaro's death, which was reportedly earlier than expected given the removal of her feeding tube on Friday, is now being investigated by the Italian Medical Association, but a spokesperson for the group said it was too early to determine if her doctors had acted appropriately. In reaction to the news of her death, organizations in other parts of Europe have also called for their governments to create more definite rules on end-of-life decision making. The removal of Englaro's feeding tube followed the refusal of Italian President Giorgio Napolitano to sign an order prohibiting the action. Napolitano said he could not issue the order given a decision by the country's Court of Cassation allowing removal of the tube. Euthanasia is currently illegal in Italy, but the Court of Cassation distinguished between the removal of a feeding tube and more affirmative steps to end a patient's life.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on February 10, 2009 (boomark / email).