The Right to a Dignified Death in Argentina

Abstract

In this chapter we describe and analyse the public debates on death with dignity in Argentina, from the first attempts to regulate the rights of terminally ill patients to the political process that resulted in the death with dignity Act. Based on documentary sources and sociology of public problems approach we discuss the process of legal change regarding treatment refusal at the end of life. After a short sketch of the history of the debates on death with dignity, we discuss the social and political factors that led to a legal change regarding death with dignity. We posit that the political context and how the debate on end-oflife care was introduced into the public domain explain the legal changes and ethical concerns related to a death with dignity in Argentina.