Dore Evidence Prevails

Dear supporters of Margaret Dore and Choice is an Illusion

Today 6 December 2016, the South African Supreme Court of Appeal has overturned the lower courts authorisatin of euthanasia decision. The euthanasia side filed an affidavit from an Oregon pro-assisted suicide doctor activist arguing how well assisted suicide was being implemented in Oregon. Margaret Dore filed an affidavit rebutting these claims.

Ultimately the court ruled that faced with complex conflicting claims about the situation in foreign juristictions, it could not decide on the question of whether assisted suicide/euthanasia was being implemented well or not overeas - but left the matter in substantial doubt and affirmed that given our socio-economic context the probably of problems in South Africa was greater than overseas. The point is though that I think Margaret Dore's evidence at

Dore Expert Witness Affidavit

Below, an excerpt from the expert witness affidavit of Attorney Margaret K. Dore, filed in the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa, SCA Case No: 531/2015. 

The affidavit, including attachments, can be viewed by clicking here.

The Oregon and Washington Acts

12.  The Oregon and Washington "Death with Dignity Acts" legalize physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia as those terms are traditionally defined. See memo, pp. 2-3 (regarding definitions)  at "MD."

13.   Oregon's act went into effect in 1997.  Washington's act, which is modelled on Oregon's act, went into effect in 2009. Both acts were passed by ballot measures in which voters were promised that "only" the patient would be allowed to administer the lethal dose. There is, however, no such language in either act. See memo, pp. 10- 12 at “MD2,”and article at  “MD4.” Indeed, both acts allow someone else to administer the lethal dose to the patient, which is euthanasia. Id.