Politics

Constitution not a block on assisted dying laws, Dáil committee told

Two academics backed legislature’s ability to alter assisted dying legislation, while a third said he did not believe the Oireachtas has the ‘legislative competency’ to change the ban

  • June 20, 2023
Frequent references were made to the case of Marie Fleming, who in 2013 lost a landmark Supreme Court right-to-die challenge, during the hearing. Picture: Maxwell Photography

The constitution is not a block on the Oireachtas legislating over assisted dying, a Dáil committee has been told.

Members of the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying were told by two academics that whichever way the legislature chose to proceed on the issue, it has the right to do so.

However, a third academic disagreed and said he did not believe the Oireachtas has the “legislative competency” to change the ban on assisted suicide or ...