Appendix to Barriers and Safeguards: Access to Assisted Dying for the Socioeconomically Vulnerable Harvard Law Review

Jurisdiction

Administration by Someone Other Than the Patient

Minimum Age of 18 Years

Citizenship or Residency Requirement

Prognostic Criterion

Diagnostic Criteria

Mental Illness a Sufficient Ground for Access

Australian Capital Territory

Yes

(s 42(1))

Yes

(s 11(1)(a))

Yes (a “substantial connection” may also suffice)

(ss 11(1)(f), 154)

Yes (“approaching the end of . . . life”)

(s 11(3))

Yes (“condition” or combination of conditions that is/are “advanced, progressive,” and causing “intolerabl[e]” suffering)

(s 11(1)(b), (c))

No

(s 11(2)(b))

Australia New South Wales

Yes

(s 60(6))

Yes

(s 16(1)(a))

Yes

(s 16(1)(b)–(c))

Yes (death expected within six months, or twelve months for neurodegenerative diagnoses)

(s 16(1)(d))

Yes (“disease, illness or medical condition” that “is advanced, progressive,” and “causing suffering to the person that cannot be relieved in a way the person considers tolerable”)

(s 16(1)(d))

No

(s 16(2))

Australia (Queensland)

Yes

(s 50(1)) 

Yes

(s 10(1)(d)) 

Yes

(s 10(1)(e)–(f)) 

Yes (death expected within twelve months)

(s 10(1)(a)) 

Yes (“disease, illness or medical condition” that “is advanced, progressive,” and “causing suffering that the person considers to be intolerable”)

(s 10(1)(a)) 

No

(s 13(1)) 

Australia (Tasmania)

Yes

(s 86(1)) 

Yes

(s 10(1)(a)) 

Yes

(s 11(1)) 

Yes (death expected within six months, or twelve months for neurodegenerative diagnoses; unless the Commission grants an exception)

(s 6(1), (3)) 

Yes (“disease, illness, injury, or medical condition” that “is advanced, incurable and irreversible”)

(s 6(1)–(2)) 

No

(s 10(2)–(3)) 

Jurisdiction

Waiting Period

Dual Health Care Provider Approval

Prospective Committee Review

Advance Directives

Centralized Monitoring and Reporting

Written Declaration Requirement

Australian Capital Territory

No

Yes

(s 19(1))

No

No

(s 11(1)(d))

Yes

(s 127)

Yes

(s 27(3))

Australia New South Wales

Yes (five days, unless death or incapacity is likely to occur sooner)

(s 49)

Yes

(s 31)

Yes

(ss 70–72)

No

(s 16(1)(e))

Yes

(s 136(1))

Yes

(s 43(1)–(2))

Australia (Queensland)

Yes (nine days, unless death or incapacity is likely to occur sooner)

(s 43) 

Yes

(s 9) 

No (review available only on application from an eligible person)

(s 102)

No

(s 10(1)(b)) 

Yes

(s 117(1)(d)–(f)) 

Yes

(s 37(2)) 

Australia(Tasmania)

Yes (forty-eight hours between first and second requests and again between second and final requests, unless incapacity is likely to occur sooner or death is likely to occur within seven days)

(ss 30(2), 53(2))

Yes

(s 37) 

No (review available only on application from an eligible person)

(s 95) 

No

(s 10(1)(c)) 

Yes

(ss 119–120) 

Yes

(s 30(3)) 

Jurisdiction

Administration by Someone Other Than the Patient

Minimum Age of 18 Years

Citizenship or Residency Requirement

Prognostic Criterion

Diagnostic Criteria

Mental Illness a Sufficient Ground for Access

Australia (the Victoria model)

Yes  

(Vic s 48) 

(SA s 64) 

Yes 

(Vic s 9(1)(a)) 

(SA s 26(1)(a)) 

Yes 

(Vic s 9(1)(b)) 

(SA s 26(1)(b)) 

Yes (death expected within six months, or twelve months for neurodegenerative diagnoses) 

(Vic s 9(1)(d), (4)) 

(SA s 26(1)(d), (4)) 

Yes (“disease, illness or medical condition” that “is incurable,” “advanced, progressive,” and “causing suffering . . . that cannot be relieved in a manner that the person considers tolerable”) 

(Vic s 9(1)(d)) 

(SA s 26(1)(d)) 

No  

(Vic s 9(2)) 

(SA s 26(2)) 

Australia (Western Australia)

Yes

(s 60) 

Yes

(s 16(1)(a)) 

Yes

(s 16(1)(b)) 

Yes (death expected within six months, or twelve months for neurodegenerative diagnoses)

(s 16(1)(c)) 

Yes (“disease, illness or medical condition” that “is advanced, progressive,” and “causing suffering . . . that cannot be relieved in a manner that the person considers tolerable”)

(s 16(1)(c)) 

No

(s 16(2)) 

Austria

No 

Yes

(§ 6) 

Yes

(§ 1(2))

No 

Yes (“incurable, fatal illness” or “serious, permanent illness” causing “permanent[] impair[ment]” to one’s “entire way of life,” such that suffering cannot be avoided in any other way (author’s translation))

(§ 6(3)) 

Unclear

Jurisdiction

Waiting Period

Dual Health Care Provider Approval

Prospective Committee Review

Advance Directives

Centralized Monitoring and Reporting

Written Declaration Requirement

Australia (the Victoria model)

Yes (nine days, unless death is likely to occur sooner)

(Vic s 38)

(SA s 56) 

Yes

(Vic s 22)

(SA s 40) 

Yes (a lone executive official decides whether to approve a patient’s request)

(Vic s 49)

(SA s 67) 

No

(Vic s 9(1)(c))

(SA s 26(1)(c)) 

Yes

(Vic ss 75, 107 – 08)

(SA s 120) 

Yes

(Vic ss 34 – 36)

(SA ss 52 – 54) 

Australia (Western Australia)

Yes (nine days, unless death or incapacity is likely to occur sooner)

(s 48) 

Yes

(s 30) 

No (review available only on application from an eligible person)

(ss 84 – 86)

No

(s 16(1)(d)) 

Yes

(s 152) 

Yes

(ss 42 – 45) 

Austria

Yes (twelve weeks, or two weeks for terminal diagnoses)

(§ 8(1)) 

Yes

(§ 7(1)) 

No 

Yes (the recipient must have decisionmaking capacity only at the time they receive information and create a written directive)

(§ 6(1)) 

Yes

(§ 9(2)) 

No (the person documenting the request need not be the patient)

(§ 8(3))

Jurisdiction

Administration by Someone Other Than the Patient

Minimum Age of 18 Years

Citizenship or Residency Requirement

Prognostic Criterion

Diagnostic Criteria

Mental Illness a Sufficient Ground for Access

Belgium

Yes

(art. 2) 

No

No (except for advance declarations) 

No (except for minors) 

Yes (“terminal medical situation and reports constant and unbearable physical or psychological suffering that cannot be alleviated and that results from a serious and incurable accidental or pathological condition” (author’s translation))

(art. 3 § 1) 

Yes (except for minors) 

Canada

Yes

(Criminal Code § 241.1(a)) 

Yes

(Criminal Code § 241.2(1)(b))

No (must be eligible for publicly funded health care services, or would be eligible but for minimum residency or waiting period)

(Criminal Code § 241.2(1)(a)) 

No (as of Mar. 17, 2021)

Yes (“grievous and irremediable medical condition” that is “serious and incurable,” causing an “advanced state of irreversible decline in capability” and “intolerable” “physical or psychological suffering . . . that cannot be relieved under conditions that [the patient] consider[s] acceptable”)

(Criminal Code § 241.2(1)(c), (2)(a) – (c)) 

No

Jurisdiction

Waiting Period

Dual Health Care Provider Approval

Prospective Committee Review

Advance Directives

Centralized Monitoring and Reporting

Written Declaration Requirement

Belgium

Yes (one month, “[i]f the physician is of the opinion that death will clearly not occur in the short term” (author’s translation))

(art. 3 § 3(2)) 

Yes

(art. 3 § 2(3)) 

No 

Yes

(art. 4) 

Yes

(art. 9) 

Yes

(art. 3 § 4) 

Canada

Yes (ninety days, unless death is imminent) 

Yes

(Criminal Code § 241.2(3)(e)) 

No 

Yes

Yes

(Criminal Code § 241.31(3)) 

Yes

(Criminal Code § 241.2(3)(b)) 

Jurisdiction

Administration by Someone Other Than the Patient

Minimum Age of 18 Years

Citizenship or Residency Requirement

Prognostic Criterion

Diagnostic Criteria

Mental Illness a Sufficient Ground for Access

Colombia

Yes

(Resolución No. 971, art. 3.8) 

No

Yes

(Resolución No. 971, art. 2.4)

No

Yes (“advanced incurable disease, terminal illness, or agony” resulting in “suffering” (author’s translation))

(Resolución No.971, art. 7) 

Unclear

Cuba

Unclear (sanctioning “valid procedures that end life” (author’s translation)) 

(art. 158.2(e))

No 

No 

Yes (must be in an “agonizing or terminal phase of life” (author’s translation))

(art. 158.3(c)) 

Yes (“chronic, degenerative, and irreversible” conditions causing “intractable suffering” (author’s translation))

(art. 158.3(a), (b)) 

Unclear 

Ecuador

Yes

(Reglamento arts. 3, 22) 

Yes

(Reglamento art. 4(b)) 

Yes

(Reglamento art. 4(a)) 

Yes (the regulatory definition of a serious and irreversible bodily injury requires “a fatal prognosis that is imminent or expected within a short timeframe,” and the definition of a serious and incurable illness requires “life expectancy [of] less than [six] months” (author’s translation))

(Reglamento art. 3) 

Yes (“serious and incurable illness or serious and irreversible bodily injury” (author’s translation))

(Reglamento art. 4(d)(1)) 

No 

Jurisdiction

Waiting Period

Dual Health Care Provider Approval

Prospective Committee Review

Advance Directives

Centralized Monitoring and Reporting

Written Declaration Requirement

Colombia

No 

No 

Yes

(Resolución No. 971, art. 14) 

Yes

(Resolución No. 971, art. 3 § 3.8) 

Yes

(Resolución No. 971, arts. 20, 22) 

No

(Resolución No. 971, art. 3 § 3.9) 

Cuba

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

Ecuador

No 

No 

Yes

(Reglamento arts. 6–7, 17(1)) 

Yes

(Reglamento art. 5(a)) 

Yes

(Reglamento art. 12(j), (l)) 

Yes

(Reglamento art. 5(a)) 

Jurisdiction

Administration by Someone Other Than the Patient

Minimum Age of 18 Years

Citizenship or Residency Requirement

Prognostic Criterion

Diagnostic Criteria

Mental Illness a Sufficient Ground for Access

Estonia

No (noting that the defendant gave people a device that they used to end their own lives)

(¶¶ 30, 31)

No 

No 

No 

No 

Unclear 

Germany

No (invalidating a challenged provision criminalizing assisted suicide, ¶ 331, but leaving intact a federal criminal law prohibiting killing on request)

No 

No 

No

(¶ 340) 

No

(¶ 340) 

Yes

(¶ 340) 

Italy

No (addressing a Criminal Code provision prohibiting assisted suicide, but not another prohibiting killing on request) 

(Corte Cost. § 9)

No 

No 

Yes (patient must be “kept alive by life support treatments” (author’s translation)) 

(Corte Cost. § 5) 

Yes (“terminal illness” and “physical or psychological distress that [the patient] finds intolerable” (author’s translation)) 

(Corte Cost. § 5) 

No 

Jurisdiction

Waiting Period

Dual Health Care Provider Approval

Prospective Committee Review

Advance Directives

Centralized Monitoring and Reporting

Written Declaration Requirement

Estonia

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

Germany

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

Italy

No

No 

Yes (territorial ethics committee; judicial review may be necessary until legislation is passed) 

(Corte Cost. §§ 5, 7)

No (patient must be “fully capable of making free and conscious decisions” (author’s translation))

(Corte Cost. § 5)

No 

No 

Jurisdiction

Administration by Someone Other Than the Patient

Minimum Age of 18 Years

Citizenship or Residency Requirement

Prognostic Criterion

Diagnostic Criteria

Mental Illness a Sufficient Ground for Access

Luxembourg

Yes

(art. 2(1)) 

Yes

(art. 2(1)(1)) 

No 

No 

Yes (“hopeless medical situation” causing “constant and unbearable physical or psychological suffering without prospect of improvement” (author’s translation))

(art. 2(1)(3)) 

Unclear 

The Netherlands

Yes

(art. 8(1)) 

No

(art. 2(2)–(4)) 

No 

No 

Yes (“hopeless and unbearable suffering” with “no reasonable alternative solution” (author’s translation))

(art. 2(1)(b), (d)) 

Yes

New Zealand

Yes

(s 19(2)(a)–(b)) 

Yes

(s 5(1)(a)) 

Yes

(s 5(1)(b)) 

Yes (“terminal illness that is likely to end the person’s life within [six] months”)

(s 5(1)(c)) 

Yes (“advanced state of irreversible decline in physical capability” and “unbearable suffering that cannot be relieved in a manner that the person considers tolerable”)

(s 5(1)(d)–(e)) 

No

(s 5(2)) 

Portugal

Yes

(art. 3, no. 4, art. 5) 

Yes

(art. 3, no. 1) 

Yes

(art. 3, no. 2) 

No 

Yes (“[p]ermanent injury of extreme severity” or “[s]erious and incurable illness,” as well as “suffering of great intensity” (author’s translation))

(art. 3, no. 3) 

Unclear 

Jurisdiction

Waiting Period

Dual Health Care Provider Approval

Prospective Committee Review

Advance Directives

Centralized Monitoring and Reporting

Written Declaration Requirement

Luxembourg

No 

Yes

(art. 2(2)(4)) 

Yes

(art. 8) 

Yes

(art. 4) 

Yes

(art. 9) 

Yes

(art. 2(1)(4)) 

The Netherlands

No 

Yes

(art. 2(1)(e)) 

No 

Yes

(art. 2(2)) 

Yes

(arts. 8, 17) 

No 

New Zealand

Yes (prescription and communication to the Registrar at least forty-eight hours before administration)

(s 19(3))

Yes

(s 14) 

Yes (procedural review by the Registrar)

(s 19(4)–(5))

No

(s 33) 

Yes

(s 27(2)) 

Yes

(s 12(2)–(4)) 

Portugal

Yes (two months)

(art. 4, no. 5) 

Yes

(art. 6, no. 1) 

Yes

(art. 8, no. 1, art. 9, no. 1) 

No

(art. 3, no. 1) 

Yes

(art. 27) 

Yes

(art. 4, no. 1) 

Jurisdiction

Administration by Someone Other Than the Patient

Minimum Age of 18 Years

Citizenship or Residency Requirement

Prognostic Criterion

Diagnostic Criteria

Mental Illness a Sufficient Ground for Access

Spain

Yes

(art. 3(g)(1)(a)) 

Yes

(art. 5(1)(a)) 

Yes

(art. 5(1)(a)) 

Yes (as to a “[s]erious and incurable disease,” there must be “a limited life expectancy” (author’s translation))

(art. 3(c)) 

Yes (“serious and incurable disease” or “serious, chronic and disabling condition” (author’s translation))

(art. 5(1)(d)) 

Unclear

Switzerland

No

(art. 114) 

No 

No 

No 

No 

Yes

U.S. (California)

No

(§§ 443.2(a)(5), .18) 

Yes

(§ 443.2(a)) 

Yes

(§ 443.2(a)(3)) 

Yes (death expected “within six months”)

(§ 443.1(r)) 

No (“terminal disease”)

(§ 443.2(a)(1)) 

No

(§ 443.2(a)(1)) 

U.S. (Colorado)

No

(§ 25-48-102(7), (15)) 

Yes

(§ 25-48-103(1)) 

Yes

(§ 25-48-103(1)) 

Yes (death expected within six months)

(§ 25-48-103(1)(a)) 

No (“terminal illness”)

(§ 25-48-103(1)(a)) 

No

(§ 25-48-103(1)(a)) 

Jurisdiction

Waiting Period

Dual Health Care Provider Approval

Prospective Committee Review

Advance Directives

Centralized Monitoring and Reporting

Written Declaration Requirement

Spain

Yes (fifteen days unless loss of capacity is imminent)

(art. 5(1)(c)) 

Yes

(art. 8(3)) 

Yes

(art. 10) 

Yes

(art. 5(2)) 

Yes

(art. 18(e)) 

No

(art. 5(1)(c)) 

Switzerland

No 

No 

Yes (right-to-die societies assess individual requests) 

Yes 

No 

No 

U.S. (California)

Yes (forty-eight hours between oral requests)

(§ 443.3(a)) 

Yes

(§ 443.5(a)(3)) 

No 

No

(§§ 443.2(a), .12) 

Yes

(§ 443.19) 

Yes

(§ 443.3(a)–(b)) 

U.S. (Colorado)

Yes (seven days between oral requests, unless death is expected within forty-eight hours)

(§ 25-48-104(1)) 

Yes

(§ 25-48-107) 

No 

No

(§ 25-48-114) 

Yes

(§ 25-48-111) 

Yes

(§ 25-48-104(1)(a), (2)) 

Jurisdiction

Administration by Someone Other Than the Patient

Minimum Age of 18 Years

Citizenship or Residency Requirement

Prognostic Criterion

Diagnostic Criteria

Mental Illness a Sufficient Ground for Access

U.S. (District of Columbia; Maine; New Jersey)

No

(D.C. § 7-661.06(f) (Patient “ingests” the medication))

(Me. § 2140(4))

(N.J. § 26:16-15(a)) 

Yes

(D.C. § 7-661.01(13))

(Me. § 2140(4))

(N.J. § 26:16-4(a)) 

Yes

(D.C. § 7-661.03(a)(1)(D))

(Me. § 2140(15))

(N.J. § 26:16-4(a)) 

Yes (death expected within six months)

(D.C. § 7-661.01(16))

(Me. § 2140(2)(M))

(N.J. § 26:16-3) 

No

(D.C. § 7-661.04(a)(1)(A) (“terminal disease”))

(Me. § 2140(4) (“terminal disease”))

(N.J. § 26:16-4 (“terminally ill”)) 

No

(D.C. § 7-661.03(a)(1)(A))

(Me. § 2140(4))

(N.J. § 26:16-4) 

U.S. (Hawaii)

No

(§ 327L-18) 

Yes

(§ 327L-2) 

Yes

(§ 327L-2) 

Yes (death expected “within six months”)

(§ 327L-1) 

No (“terminal disease”)

(§ 327L-2) 

No

(§ 327L-2) 

U.S. (Montana)

No

(¶¶ 30, 32, 36) 

No

No 

Unclear (analogizing to a statutory provision authorizing withdrawal of treatment, with consent, from patients who are “terminally ill”) 

(¶ 33)

No 

Unclear 

U.S. (New Mexico)

No

(§ 24-7C-8) 

Yes

(§ 24-7C-2(A)) 

Yes

(§ 24-7C-2(A)) 

Yes (death expected “within six months”)

(§ 24-7C-2(J)) 

No (“terminal illness”)

(§ 24-7C-3(A)(2)) 

No

(§ 24-7C-3(A)(2)) 

Jurisdiction

Waiting Period

Dual Health Care Provider Approval

Prospective Committee Review

Advance Directives

Centralized Monitoring and Reporting

Written Declaration Requirement

U.S. (District of Columbia; Maine; New Jersey)

Yes (fifteen days between initial and subsequent requests and forty-eight hours after written request)

(D.C. § 7-661.02(a))

(Me. § 2140(13))

(N.J. § 26:16-10(a)) 

Yes

(D.C. § 7-661.03(a)(3))

(Me. § 2140(7))

(N.J. § 26:16-4(b)) 

No 

No

(D.C. § 7-661.08)

(Me. § 2140(18))

(N.J. § 26:16-14(a)) 

Yes

(D.C. § 7-661.07)

(Me. § 2140(17))

(N.J. § 26:16-13) 

Yes

(D.C. § 7-661.02(a)(2))

(Me. § 2140(4))

(N.J. § 26:16-5(a)) 

U.S. (Hawaii)

Yes (five days from first oral requests unless patient is expected to die sooner; forty-eight hours from written request)

(§ 327L-11) 

Yes

(§ 327L-4(a)(4)) 

No 

No

(§ 327L-16) 

Yes

(§§ 327L-14, -25) 

Yes

(§ 327L-3(a)) 

U.S. (Montana)

No 

No 

No 

No

(¶ 30) 

No 

No 

U.S. (New Mexico)

Yes (forty-eight hours after prescription is provided, unless patient is expected to die sooner)

(§ 24-7C-5(A)) 

Yes

(§ 24-7C-3(G)) 

No 

No

(§ 24-7C-3(A)(1)) 

Yes

Yes

(§ 24-7C-3(H)) 

Jurisdiction

Administration by Someone Other Than the Patient

Minimum Age of 18 Years

Citizenship or Residency Requirement

Prognostic Criterion

Diagnostic Criteria

Mental Illness a Sufficient Ground for Access

U.S. (Oregon)

No

(§ 127.815(1)(k)) 

Yes

(§ 127.805(1)) 

No (§ 127.805(1)) 

Yes (death expected “within six months”)

(§ 127.800(12)) 

No (“terminal disease”)

(§ 127.805(1)) 

No

(§ 127.805(1)) 

U.S. (Vermont)

No

(§ 5283(a)) 

Yes

(§ 5281(8)) 

No

(§ 5281(8))

Yes (death expected “within six months”)

(§ 5281(10)) 

No (“terminal condition”)

(§ 5283(a)) 

No

(§ 5283(a)) 

U.S. (Washington)

No

(§ 70.245.020(1)) 

Yes

(§ 70.245.020(1))

Yes

(§ 70.245.020(1)) 

Yes (death expected “within six months”)

(§ 70.245.010(13)) 

No (“terminal disease”)

(§ 70.245.020(1)) 

No

(§ 70.245.020(1)) 

Jurisdiction

Waiting Period

Dual Health Care Provider Approval

Prospective Committee Review

Advance Directives

Centralized Monitoring and Reporting

Written Declaration Requirement

U.S. (Oregon)

Yes (fifteen days after first oral request; forty-eight hours after written request; unless patient is expected to die sooner)

(§ 127.850) 

Yes

(§ 127.820) 

No 

No

(§ 127.870) 

Yes

(§ 127.865) 

Yes

(§ 127.810) 

U.S. (Vermont)

Yes (fifteen days after first oral request)

(§ 5283(a)(2)) 

Yes

(§ 5283(a)(7)) 

No 

No

(§ 5281(2)) 

Yes

(§§ 5283(a)(15), 5293) 

Yes

(§ 5283(a)(4)) 

U.S. (Washington)

Yes (seven days after first oral request)

(§ 70.245.110) 

Yes

(§ 70.245.050) 

No 

No

(§ 70.245.160) 

Yes

(§ 70.245.150) 

Yes

(§ 70.245.030)