Euthanasia is not a medical service and there is no legal right to buy compounds for suicide, a German court has ruled.
The Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig has issued its landmark ruling, saying the free availability of lethal compounds is not compatible with the state’s duty to protect the general public.
The official press release of the court said that medical care includes ‘the use of an anaesthetic to cure or alleviate illness or pathological complaints’, adding, ‘in principle, ending one’s own life does not have such a therapeutic purpose.’
The court also stated that the ‘design of the protection framework to prevent misuse and abuse’ of lethal substances plays an important role.
