The question of whether or not any one person has the capacity, legally or otherwise to take one's own life is one of the most debated and fundamentally thought provoking in society's history. Life, death and all the events and actors they encompass are not easily placed within the parameters of a legal society such as the United States. This is perhaps why it is so difficult to take a clear stance on the issue. Although the highest legal body in this country has ruled on the issue the debate remains. Is physician-assisted suicide a legal and moral act in which any given person, in any specific situation should be able to partake in? I believe the answer is yes, and it is why I would have decided the Supreme Court cases of Washington v. Glucksberg and Quill v. Vacco differently.
The first argument for those in favor of phyisican-assisted suicide is that of equal protection. The Supreme Court ruled in the Cruzan case that any competent individual could refuse life saving medical treatment. In my opinion there is absolutely no distinction between refusing extraordinary life saving means and hastening eminent death with physician assisted suicide. In either case the end result will be the same and since one is protected under the Constitution the other, physician-assisted suicide should be as well. It is after all the underlying illness or disease that has brought the individual to deaths door, it is that individuals right to determine how and when they wish to pass through it. A competent individual protected under the law set in the Cruzan case should apply in the situation of physician-assisted suicide as well. The fact that they are not is a highly hypocritical position that I believe the court was incorrect in making.
The second argument in favor of physician-assisted suicide is that of due process. I believe that the right to end one's own life is a personal, private right that is covered by the fourteenth amendment of the Constitution.
The autopsy revealed that she had died from "homicidal violence." ... In October of 2009, Freeman's mother, Cory Courtright, requested that the Coquille Police Department and the district attorney's office reinvestigate the case. ...
Supreme Court Introduction The Supreme Court of the United States is making definitive judgments on crucial, social and economic problems. ... Supreme Court Procedures The Supreme Court is the only federal court established by the Constitution itself rather than by act of Congress. In the early days of the republic the Supreme Court of the U.S. sat in what is now the old Supreme Court Chamber in the U.S. ... The Supreme Court took on more and more of conflicts. ... The Effect of A Supreme Court The Supreme Court finds and declares law but does not make law in the sense that a legisla...
United States Supreme Court: Fletcher v. ... Marbury then sued Madison and the Supreme Court to get the appointment. ... This act made it unconstitutional to for the Supreme Court to issue such a writ. ... Madison and then declaring the Judiciary Act of 1789 was a landmark in the history of the Supreme Court. ... The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Robert Fletcher. ...
The Supreme Court stands at the top of the American Legal System. To be a Supreme Court justice is considered a very high honor. ... All these qualifications must be met before appointed as a Supreme Court Justice. ... The Supreme Court is the court of last resort in all questions of federal law. All nine Supreme Court Justices hold such a powerful position and should be qualified for the job. ...
The members of the Supreme Court make decisions for people, who have went to the lower courts and were not satisfied with the decisions made, which made the Supreme Court the final option for a person to get what they want. The judges of the Supreme Court are subject to uphold the Charter of the Rights and Freedoms for every citizen of Canada. ... E. thought that she would have to take responsibility if Eve were ever to become pregnant (Supreme Court records). ... s application to the Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island was successful, thus Eve appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada after t...
SUPREME COURT APPOINTMENTS As the final court of appeal, the Supreme Court of Canada serves Canadians by leading the development of common and civil law through its decisions on questions of public importance. ... The term as a justice of the Supreme Court is until he or she retires or, at latest, attains the age of seventy-five years. ... The justices in the Supreme Court of Canada are by the constitution, appointed by the Prime Minister. ... Justices of the Supreme Court are able to stay in power until the age of seventy five. ... Being a member of the Supreme Court requires constant dedica...
Appointing a Supreme Court Justice is not something every President is gifted with and as such they tend to use it to their advantage, both whilst they are in office and after. ... President Bush nominated Roberts after Justice Sandra Jay O'Connor announced retirement in 2005, however, surprisingly Chief Justice Rehnquist died. ... This highlights Presidential politicization within the Supreme Court as Bush clearly wanted to gain a significant political foothold in the Supreme Court by appointing a young Judge with the same ideology. ... Although the way most Presidents approach their opp...
Different Supreme Court cases were able to raise the nationalistic views in people. ... By the refusal to pay the tax, the Supreme Court decided that Maryland could not tax the government. The Supreme Court voted in favor of McCulloch's refusal. ... This also tested the sanctity of contracts.The Supreme Court voted that Dartmouth would continue to be a private institution. ... The Supreme Court voted in favor of Gibbons. ...
The justices have the great burden of having to interpret the supreme law of the land, the Constitution. ... That is why the Supreme Court has to be unbiased in their decisions. ... Many different issues are sent to the Supreme Court every year. ... Most cases petitioned to the Supreme Court are done with a writ of certiorari (www.gsu.edu). ... In the end, the Supreme Court is always right. ...
