Assisted Suicide Laws

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that New Jersey’s medically assisted‑suicide law applies only to state residents, in an opinion by Judge Stephanos Bibas. The decision came amid a Delaware plaintiff’s death from stage‑four lymphoma after arguments, and on‑record disappointment from plaintiff Dr. Paul Bryman. The court noted New Jersey’s statute requires a six‑month prognosis confirmed by two physicians, two patient requests with witness‑limit rules, self‑administration, and a discussion of palliative care, and Delaware’s own aid‑in‑dying law takes effect Jan. 1.