Folgen der (Teil-)Kriminalisierung der ärztlichen Suizidassistenz für den Stellenwert der Patientenautonomie am Lebensende

The work compares and analyses the significance of patient autonomy at the end of life, as intended by the legal system, before and after the introduction of § 217 StGB.
The central question of the investigation is whether the partial criminalisation of medical suicide assistance, which took place with the introduction of § 217 StGB, can be understood as an expression of a paradigm shift: Is the partial criminalisation symptomatic of a reawakening paternalism in medical criminal law, which - far beyond the scope of § 217 StGB - encompasses patient autonomy at the end of life as a whole?

The author argues that the introduction of § 217 StGB has been accompanied by effects on the status of patient autonomy beyond its scope of application. She discusses the resulting current challenges for patient autonomy, but also points out opportunities for the significance of patient autonomy at the end of life.