What is the future of human rights? A discussion on assisted suicide and mental health
What is the future of human rights? A discussion on assisted suicide and mental health
Date
2020
Authors
Vilcu, Stefania
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Abstract
The present paper argues that human rights are a wonderful way to understand and to introduce
the debate on assisted suicide that our contemporary society needs. People with mental illness
are a very vulnerable group in society and we need to do all we can to better protect their rights
as they face a lot of stigma and discrimination due to their mental condition. This thesis will first
present the main arguments that constitute the existing literature on how assisted suicide
contributes to the protection of the human rights of people with mental illness. Secondly, it will
demonstrate the practical applicability of the stated arguments through three comparisons of
different cases, meant to reinforce the strong points of the debate. Assisted suicide is a strong
pain relief and a mechanism that enforces people’s human rights through autonomy and selfdetermination,
and it should be an available option for people suffering from a mental condition.
Description
Second semester University: Uppsala University
Keywords
mental health,
mental illness,
comparative law,
case law,
self-determination,
assisted suicide,
human rights,
discrimination