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05/12/2012
Right-To-Die Case Hears 'Self Determination' Is Key
The State is entitled to discourage suicide but is not entitled to stop a disabled person doing what an able-bodied person can do, the High Court has been told.
Counsel for Wicklow woman Marie Fleming, 58, made the submission as part of a landmark case to establish a right to end her life with assistance.
Senior counsel Brian Murray said suicide was not illegal yet Ms Fleming was prevented from ending her life because of her physical incapacity to do so.
Adding that the State was trying to do this by reference to a very general concept of the common good, which was not being applied equally.
He said previous cases had established the right to privacy, autonomy, self-determination and dignity, which lie at the heart of Ms Fleming’s claim.
Those rights include the right to die with dignity, he said.
Mr Murray went on to say it was wrong for the State's interest in the lives of people on some theory of natural law to override a person's free choice.
Ms Fleming was diagnosed in 1986 with MS and is in the final stages of the condition.
She is past the point where she could take her own life unaided but wants to establish the right to end her life with assistance.
She is challenging a section of the Criminal Law Suicide Act which makes is an offence to help someone take their own life.
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Counsel for Wicklow woman Marie Fleming, 58, made the submission as part of a landmark case to establish a right to end her life with assistance.
Senior counsel Brian Murray said suicide was not illegal yet Ms Fleming was prevented from ending her life because of her physical incapacity to do so.
Adding that the State was trying to do this by reference to a very general concept of the common good, which was not being applied equally.
He said previous cases had established the right to privacy, autonomy, self-determination and dignity, which lie at the heart of Ms Fleming’s claim.
Those rights include the right to die with dignity, he said.
Mr Murray went on to say it was wrong for the State's interest in the lives of people on some theory of natural law to override a person's free choice.
Ms Fleming was diagnosed in 1986 with MS and is in the final stages of the condition.
She is past the point where she could take her own life unaided but wants to establish the right to end her life with assistance.
She is challenging a section of the Criminal Law Suicide Act which makes is an offence to help someone take their own life.
(H)
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04 December 2012
Woman Launches Right-To-Die High Court Bid
A landmark High Court case has been launched, by a woman who is terminally ill, to establish a right to end her life with assistance. Marie Fleming from Wicklow was diagnosed with MS in 1986 and is in the final stages of the condition. She will give evidence this afternoon to a specially convened three-judge division of the High Court.
Woman Launches Right-To-Die High Court Bid
A landmark High Court case has been launched, by a woman who is terminally ill, to establish a right to end her life with assistance. Marie Fleming from Wicklow was diagnosed with MS in 1986 and is in the final stages of the condition. She will give evidence this afternoon to a specially convened three-judge division of the High Court.
17 January 2013
Right-To-Die Case To Appear Before Supreme Court
The 19th February has been set as the provisional date to hear the appeal of a terminally ill woman, who last week lost her challenge to the ban on assisted suicide. 59-year-old Marie Fleming, who has multiple sclerosis, launched a High Court challenge over her right to die.
Right-To-Die Case To Appear Before Supreme Court
The 19th February has been set as the provisional date to hear the appeal of a terminally ill woman, who last week lost her challenge to the ban on assisted suicide. 59-year-old Marie Fleming, who has multiple sclerosis, launched a High Court challenge over her right to die.
20 December 2013
Right-To-Die Campaigner Marie Fleming Dies Aged 59
Right-to-die campaigner Marie Fleming has died overnight, aged 59. Ms Fleming had brought a right-to-die case to the Supreme Court in April this year, arguing that he partner, Tom Curran, should be allowed to help her end her life without fear of prosecution.
Right-To-Die Campaigner Marie Fleming Dies Aged 59
Right-to-die campaigner Marie Fleming has died overnight, aged 59. Ms Fleming had brought a right-to-die case to the Supreme Court in April this year, arguing that he partner, Tom Curran, should be allowed to help her end her life without fear of prosecution.
03 May 2013
Catholic Bishops Oppose Abortion Legislation
The Catholic Bishops of Ireland have released a statement saying that the Protection of Life in Pregnancy Bill is a morally unacceptable change to Irish legislation. The statement said: "The Gospel of Life is at the heart of the message of Jesus; the deliberate decision to deprive an innocent human being of life is always morally wrong.
Catholic Bishops Oppose Abortion Legislation
The Catholic Bishops of Ireland have released a statement saying that the Protection of Life in Pregnancy Bill is a morally unacceptable change to Irish legislation. The statement said: "The Gospel of Life is at the heart of the message of Jesus; the deliberate decision to deprive an innocent human being of life is always morally wrong.
10 January 2013
MS Sufferer Loses Landmark Appeal Ban On Assisted Suicide
The High Court in Dublin has ruled against a Wicklow woman who took a landmark case challenging the law on assisted suicide. Marie Fleming, 58, who has multiple sclerosis (MS), took the legal action against the Irish State to fight for the right to end her life with her partner, without him being jailed.
MS Sufferer Loses Landmark Appeal Ban On Assisted Suicide
The High Court in Dublin has ruled against a Wicklow woman who took a landmark case challenging the law on assisted suicide. Marie Fleming, 58, who has multiple sclerosis (MS), took the legal action against the Irish State to fight for the right to end her life with her partner, without him being jailed.
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