New York Court of Appeals hears oral argument in assisted suicide case
Here is a link to a brief report on the oral argument before the New York Court of Appeals in Myers v. Schneiderman, which challenges the constitutionality of New York’s law banning assisted suicide.
“Protecting Prenatal Persons: Does the Fourteenth Amendment Prohibit Abortion?”
Here is a link to a good essay (with the title noted above) in the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy by Joshua Craddock that considers whether the Fourteenth Amendment protects prenatal persons. Craddock concludes: “Based on the historical evidence, this Note presents an originalist argument that all prenatal life is included within the Fourteenth Amendment’s […]
Stefano Gennarini on the Mexico City Policy
Here is a link to a good essay by Stefano Gennarini from C-Fam. The essay is entitled “The Genius of the Mexico City Policy and the Pro-Life Legacy of President Trump.” Here is the conclusion: “Ronald Reagan was a visionary pro-life president. He saw the need to stop the global abortion industry and played his part […]
Richard Doerflinger’s essay on John Noonan
Here is a link to a very good essay by Richard Doerflinger on Judge John Noonan; the essay is entitled “A Life Well Spent: Learning from John Noonan.” .
Tentative schedule for 2017 University Faculty for Life conference is now available
Here is a link to the tentative schedule for the upcoming University Faculty for Life conference on June 9-10, 2017 at St. Thomas Law in Minneapolis. The schedule includes a rich collection of papers on various pro-life topics. Father Robert Spitzer S.J. will receive the Smith Award and the conference features plenary talks by Dr. David Prentice, Patrick Lee, […]
The legalization of euthanasia and physician assisted suicide is a sideshow in end-of-life care
Here is a good piece by Paul Russell discussing an article by Ezekiel Emanuel. Emanuel’s article notes that “legalising euthanasia and [physician assisted suicide] is really a side-show in end-of-life care–championed by the few, extensively covered by the media, but not targeted to improve the care for most dying patients who still suffer.”
John Noonan, R.I.P.
Here is an obituary for Judge John Noonan Jr. from the New York Times. John Noonan was a great advocate for the pro-life cause. In an article I wrote some years ago, I noted that Noonan had written with eloquence about the dignity of the human person and about the need for natural law to […]
good essay by Hadley Arkes
Here is a link to an excellent essay by Hadley Arkes in the May 2017 issue of First Things. The essay is entitled “The Moral Turn” and it is a thought-provoking essay on natural law and the judicial role, with considerable focus on abortion. The essay is definitely well worth reading.
“A Reality Check on Assisted Suicide in Oregon”
Here is a link to Richard Doerflinger’s analysis of assisted suicide in Oregon. Here’s a bit from his conclusion: “In short, despite a thoroughly inadequate reporting system designed to cover up rather than reveal problems, Oregon shows exactly the problems that critics predicted: No meaningful protection against coercion, influence by others on patients with depression and […]
Roe v. Wade is not settled law
Here is a very good piece by Clarke Forsythe (from Americans United for Life) explaining why Roe v. Wade is not settled law, and why there are good reasons to believe that Roe will eventually be overruled.