Advocacy group criticises court challenge to legalise assisted dying

Public advocacy group Christian View Network has criticised a legal challenge launched by Dignity South Africa to have medically assisted death declared legal.

Dignity SA filed an application in the Pretoria High Court on Thursday, arguing that current legislation related to medically assisted death is unconstitutional.

However, Christian Views Network director Philip Rosenthal has since raised concern about a lack of safeguards, warning the legal challenge could create a slippery slope for euthanasia on demand.

"Changing the definition of murder to some currently undefined subjective amount of suffering where the witness is gone would make it harder to prosecute the crime of murder. Hopefully, the Pretoria High Court will throw this case out."

Dignity SA co-founder Willem Landman responded to Rosenthal.

"My response will be that we are living in a constitutional democracy and that people should have that choice in terms of our Constitution, and that others should accept that and grant that choice."

The Gauteng High Court is now awaiting answering affidavits from the State before legal proceedings commence.