Washington v. Glucksberg

In Washington v. Glucksberg, 521 U.S. 702 (1997), the U.S. Supreme Court held unanimously that the State of Washington's prohibition against "causing" or "aiding" a suicide does not violate the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Chief Justice William Rehnquist wrote the opinion for the Court, and the liberal wing concurred in a separate opinion. The Court reversed the decision of an en banc sitting of the Ninth Circuit:

Throughout the Nation, Americans are engaged in an earnest and profound debate about the morality, legality, and practicality of physician-assisted suicide. Our holding permits this debate to continue, as it should in a democratic society. The decision of the en banc Court of Appeals is reversed, and the case is remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.