X-Message-Number: 5988
Date: Mon, 25 Mar 1996 20:23:02 -0700 (MST)
From: David Brandt-Erichsen <>
Subject: Ninth Circuit Court ruling

Today (March 25) the State of Washington has filed an appeal to the Supreme
Court to try to overturn the Ninth Circuit Court ruling that legalized
physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill competent adults in nine
Western states.  It is not known whether or not the Supreme Court will take
the case.  Meanwhile, the ruling will remain in effect unless a stay is
asked for and granted (a rare event).  

Also today, Judge Michael Hogan, the Roman Catholic Judge who placed the
injunction which prevented Oregon Measure 16 from going into effect, refused
to grant an emergency request to lift the injunction but did schedule a
hearing on the matter for April 24.  The Ninth Circuit ruling stated that
Judge Hogan had "erred" in his original ruling on Measure 16, but his ruling
still stands because the Ninth Circuit has not specifically heard that
question yet and a hearing before the Ninth Circuit still has not been set.

In other related news, the Northern Territory of Australia's law on the
Rights of the Terminally Ill may be delayed as well.  It had been thought
that the law would go into effect in late April, but now the Health Minister
says that more time is needed for a program to educate people about the new
law, expecially the Aboriginal community, and that the operational date
could be as late as August.
 (David Brandt-Erichsen


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