Washington v. Glucksberg

Washington v. Glucksberg
Argued January 8, 1997
Decided June 26, 1997
Full case nameWashington, et al., Petitioners v. Harold Glucksberg, et al.
Citations521 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
Prior850 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
Chief Justice
William Rehnquist
Associate Justices
John P. Stevens · Sandra Day O'Connor
Antonin Scalia · Anthony Kennedy
David Souter · Clarence Thomas
Ruth Bader Ginsburg · Stephen Breyer
Case opinions
MajorityRehnquist, joined by O'Connor, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas
ConcurrenceO'Connor, joined by Ginsburg, Breyer (in part)
ConcurrenceStevens (in judgment)
ConcurrenceSouter (in judgment)
ConcurrenceGinsburg (in judgment)
ConcurrenceBreyer (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]

  1. ^ Washington v. Glucksberg, 521 U.S. 702 (1997).
  2. ^ "Washington v. Glucksberg Was Tragically Wrong".
  3. ^ 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.