Philip Nitschke

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Philip Nitschke
"Deliverance machine" developed by him, exhibited in the Science Museum

Philip Haig Nitschke (born August 8, 1947 in Ardrossan ) is an Australian activist , author and former doctor. Under the short-term euthanasia law Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1996, he became the first doctor in the world to assist in the suicide of critically ill patients. After this law was abruptly repealed by the federal government, he campaigned for a general right to a humane death for those willing to die and founded the euthanasia organization Exit International for this purpose . In his books and lectures, he discusses the various possibilities of suicide as peaceful as possible . His bookThe peaceful pill was classified as dangerous to the public in Australia and banned .

Life

Philip Nitschke was born as the son of Harold and Gweneth Nitschke in the south of Australia. After studying physics and earning his doctorate degree in Adelaide , he decided to campaign for the land rights of the Aborigines . For this he moved to the Northern Territory and later worked as a ranger , an activity which he had to give up due to an injury. He studied medicine, graduated from the University of Sydney in 1989 and worked as a doctor at the Darwin City Hospital . In 1996, he advocated the first global euthanasia law in the Northern Territory, the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act. Four terminally ill patients asked him for assistance with the suicide. For this purpose, he developed a machine in which patients could trigger the lethal injection of the sleeping pill themselves via a connected laptop. However, the next year, Australian federal legislators stripped the state of law and euthanasia was banned. Thereupon he intensified his activism with the establishment of an euthanasia organization "Voluntary Euthanasia Research Foundation", later "Exit International". Nitschke currently spends most of his time in the Netherlands .

Positions & Criticism

In contrast to many euthanasia organizations that advocate euthanasia of seriously ill people, Philip Nitschke is of the opinion that the right to a peaceful death of one's own choosing is a general human right that lies solely in the decision of every sane person regardless of their health status. He explains the possibilities of peaceful suicide. This led to massive criticism from church groups and opponents of euthanasia, who criticized the provision of this information because it could endanger unstable people.

He was reprimanded by the Australian Medical Association and in 2015 was given the choice of stopping his activism or being expelled from the medical profession, whereupon he decided to become involved and burned his medical license.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Margaret Simons: Between life and death. August 30, 2013, accessed April 9, 2019 .
  2. ^ Margaret Simons: Between life and death. August 30, 2013, accessed April 9, 2019 .
  3. ↑ Exit International | About Us - Assisted Suicide, Voluntary Euthanasia law, End of Life Matters. Retrieved April 9, 2019 (American English).
  4. ↑ Frederieke van der Molen, VICE Staff, Marjolein de Jong: This doctor developed a suicide machine. In: Vice. December 7, 2017, accessed April 9, 2019 .
  5. ↑ Frederieke van der Molen, VICE Staff, Marjolein de Jong: This doctor developed a suicide machine. In: Vice. December 7, 2017, accessed April 9, 2019 .
  6. ↑ Guardian staff: Philip Nitschke burns medical certificate and says he will promote euthanasia . In: The Guardian . November 27, 2015, ISSN  0261-3077 ( theguardian.com [accessed April 9, 2019]).
personal data
SURNAME Nitschke, Philip
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Nitschke, Philip Haig (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Australian activist, author and retired doctor
DATE OF BIRTH August 8, 1947
PLACE OF BIRTH Ardrossan