Here, "private persons" refers to physicians, as it is generally uncontested that private citizens should not kill others in the normal course of events. Physicians must confront the issue of suicide and euthanasia regularly, and Gorsuch, if confirmed, could present a challenge to those who have abused this power until now. Recently, the Canadian Supreme Court decided unanimously to decriminalize physician participation in assisted suicide. As a practical matter, what is actual physician decision-making at the end of life? In a review of end-of-life decision-making by intensive care physicians in Europe, it was determined that physician decision-making could largely be predicted by knowing the religion of the doctor and the geographic location of the practice.

Source: CNN February 05, 2017 20:26 UTC