Comparing the Law and Governance of Assisted Dying in Four European Nations

This article provides a comparative law and governance insight to assisted dying in England, France, Switzerland and the Netherlands, bringing together empirical studies of regulation and normative thinking about the role of the state. It follows the ‘new governance’ scholarly effort to challenge the conventional wisdom that regulation, especially in regard to controversial and sensitive public policy issues, must be determined by top-down, command and control rules. The question here is a straightforward, but fundamental one: to what extent do, and should, private actors contribute to the creation, application and enforcement of the law on assisted dying? Critical attention is paid to the differences that exist in the aforementioned nations and how they matter from a broader governance and policy-oriented perspective.