| Washington v. Glucksberg | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Argued January 8, 1997 Decided June 26, 1997 | |
| Full case name | Washington, et al., Petitioners v. Harold Glucksberg, et al. |
| Citations | 521 U.S. 702 (more) 117 S. Ct. 2258; 117 S. Ct. 2302; 138 L. Ed. 2d 772; 1997 U.S. LEXIS 4039; 65 U.S.L.W. 4669; 97 Cal. Daily Op. Service 5008; 97 Daily Journal DAR 8150; 11 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. S 190 |
| Case history | |
| Prior | 850 F. Supp. 1454 (W.D. Wash. 1994); reversed, 49 F.3d 586 (9th Cir. 1995); reversed on rehearing en banc, 79 F.3d 790 (9th Cir. 1996); cert. granted, 518 U.S. 1057 (1996). |
| Holding | |
| Due Process Clause does not protect the right to assistance in committing suicide. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Rehnquist, joined by O'Connor, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas |
| Concurrence | O'Connor, joined by Ginsburg, Breyer (in part) |
| Concurrence | Stevens (in judgment) |
| Concurrence | Souter (in judgment) |
| Concurrence | Ginsburg (in judgment) |
| Concurrence | Breyer (in judgment) |
Washington v. Glucksberg, 521 U.S. 702 (1997), was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, which unanimously held that a right to assisted suicide in the United States was not protected by the Due Process Clause.[1]
Some legal experts have argued that this case was incorrectly decided stating that it failed to recognize the issue of assisted death as a "fundamental aspect of the right to privacy" and therefore, the Court should have used strict scrutiny rather than rational basis review.[2][3]
- ^ Washington v. Glucksberg, 521 U.S. 702 (1997).
- ^ "Washington v. Glucksberg Was Tragically Wrong".
- ^ Hansen, Alexa (January 1, 2008). "Unqualified Interests, Definitive Definitions: Washington v. Glucksberg and the Definition of Life". UC Law Constitutional Quarterly. 36 (1): 163. ISSN 0094-5617.