European Court of Human Rights Rules no Violation of Right to Life in Withdrawal of Nutrition and Hydration Case (June 5, 2015) [1]
On June 5, 2015 (with a rectified version released on June 25, 2015), the European Court of Human Rights (the Court) ruled [3] in Lambert and Others v. France that there was no violation of Article 2 (right to life) of the European Convention on Human Rights [4] in the implementation of a previous judgment that authorized the withdrawal of the artificial nutrition and hydration of an individual named Vincent Lambert. According to the press release [5], the Court stated that “that there was no consensus among the Council of Europe member States in favour of permitting the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment. In that sphere, which concerned the end of life, States must be afforded a margin of appreciation.” Noting their awareness of the importance and sensitive nature of the issue, the “Court reiterated that it was primarily for the domestic authorities to verify whether the decision to withdraw treatment was compatible with the domestic legislation and the Convention, and to establish the patient’s wishes in accordance with national law.”