A right to die: a comparing discourse of case laws in united states of america, european court of human rights, united kingdom and albania

Abstract

As human beings we are bound up with the medical profession. It is certain that at some point in our life we rely on their help. Even if such help is avoided throughout life, some life activities involve recourse to medical care. During the exercise of its activity the medical profession is faced with many ethical dilemmas, where the solution is not in the law, where choice and decision making become difficult in terms of ethics and where they must rely on their values and judgments. That’s why the involvement of the medical profession in everyone’s lives makes the understanding of the law governing the medical profession extremely important. Patient rights are part of human rights. This article’s aim is to present one important patient right - the right to die. Whilst is accepted the increasing role of the medical profession in determining the shape of the law in medical care, this article focuses on understanding how different courts deal with cases involving the right to die. The article offers a framework on patient’s right to die in the United States of America, Europe, United Kingdom and Albania.