Findings

The State Secretary promised the House of Representatives that the findings of the review committees would be published through a data bank to be set up in 2006. The aim is to improve doctors’ understanding of the working methods and findings of the committees and thereby to increase their willingness to report cases.(Note: This data bank is only available on the Dutch version of this site)

Termination of life on request and assisted suicide are in principle criminal offences. However, in the past, a doctor who had complied with certain due care criteria could under established case law invoke the defence of necessity and would not be convicted.

Since 2002 the Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide (Review Procedures) Act has been in force. Since then, the relevant articles of the Dutch Criminal Code (293 and 294) contain special grounds for immunity from criminal liability. This means that the act itself is no longer an offence if it is performed by a doctor who has complied with the statutory due care criteria and has reported his actions in the prescribed manner.