Regulating Death: The Case of the Netherlands.

Regulating Death: The Case of the Netherlands

Gomez, C. Regulating Death: The Case of the Netherlands. New York: The Free Press, 1991.

As euthanasia becomes more openly discussed, advocates of euthanasia cite the example of the Netherlands, the one society in the world in which medically assisted suicide is tolerated. The author argues that the Dutch experience might better serve as a cautionary tale rather than a paradigm worthy of emulation.

The author argues that the Dutch government's good intentions have created a regulatory quagmire fraught with inconsistencies. The Dutch physicians are often contemptuously resistant to allowing outside authorities to second-guess their professional judgment, yet they very often fail to observe their own self-imposed guidelines and standards of regulation. They often do not seek a second opinion before electing death, and there is usually no investigation following the act. Even when there is an investigation, the physician controls all of the...