A top German court has ruled that it is not a criminal offence to cut off the life support of a dying person if that person has given their consent.

Source: http://news.rtl.lu/news/national/68519.html

A patient suffering from terminal stages of cancer and already granted euthanasia help to die, was denied his wishes at Ste Zitha Clinic, but offered palliative care at home.

According to various media reports, the Zitha Clinic in Luxembourg rejected a case of active euthanasia in a patient despite being authorised by a doctor. However the same reports did not mentioned that palliative care at home was offered.

Since 16 March the euthanasia law came into force in Luxembourg and has opened the way for active help to die.

“Active euthanasia” refers to the implementation of measures to shorten life because of actual or presumed wish of a person.

A debate is currently raging in Italy as to whether a coma patient should be allowed to die or not. Now that Prime Minister Berlusconi has become closely involved, the question has become a constitutional one as well.

Source: Spiegel.de

The Luxembourg Association for the Right to Die with Dignity in conjunction with Sokrates.lu handed over a petition containing 10,000 names on 3 December to the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Lucien Weiler. This was a petition for the adoption of the Bill 4909, decriminalizing euthanasia and was in direct response to a petition by the Wort newspaper against the adoption of this law.