Legal challenges are now underway in New York and Illinois as advocacy groups push back against laws that allow terminally ill patients to end their lives with a physician’s assistance.
The lawsuits were filed by a coalition made up of disability rights organizations and patient advocacy groups. The coalition contends that these assisted suicide laws put people with disabilities at a disadvantage, arguing they are more vulnerable to being coerced into choosing to end their own lives.
Beyond the discrimination concerns, the groups also claim these laws run afoul of the U.S. Constitution and specific federal civil rights statutes, setting the stage for what could be a significant legal battle over the future of physician-assisted death in those states.
