Non-voluntary and involuntary euthanasia in The Netherlands: Dutch perspectives

During the summer of 1999, twenty-eight interviews with some of the leading authorities on euthanasia policy were conducted in the Netherlands. They were asked about cases of non-voluntary (when patients are incompetent) and involuntary euthanasia (when patients are competent and made no request to die). This study reports the main findings, showing that most respondents are quite complacent with regard to breaches of the guideline that require the patient's consent as a prerequisite to performance of euthanasia.     

Dutch perspectives on palliative care in the Netherlands

This study reports data gathered via extensive interviews with some of the leading authorities on the euthanasia policy that were conducted in the Netherlands. They were asked: It has been argued that the policy and practice of euthanasia in the Netherlands is the result of undeveloped palliative care. What do you think? I also mentioned the fact that there are only a few hospices in the Netherlands. The responses were different and contradictory. Many interviewees agreed with the statement. Almost all of those agreeing with it said that only during the late 1990s were people beginning to admit that there was a need to improve palliative care. Some interviewees insisted that doctors first need to explore other options for helping the patient prior to choosing the course of euthanasia. Other interviewees thought that palliative care is well developed in the Netherlands and that euthanasia has actually paved the way for calling more attention to palliative care.     

The Chabot case: analysis and account of Dutch perspectives

The aims of this essay are twofold: to point out the main problems of the Chabot precedent and to report the findings of a fieldwork in the Netherlands during which some experts were asked to voice an opinion regarding the psychiatrist's conduct and the legal precedent. During the summer of 1999, twenty-eight interviews with some of the leading authorities on the euthanasia policy were conducted in the Netherlands. Multiple reasons were mentioned to either condone or condemn Chabot's practice.     

International Organisations in The Netherlands: Immunity from the Jurisdiction of the Dutch Courts

Netherlands International Law Review -     

A case of extreme agitation and death after the use of mephedrone in The Netherlands

A 36-year old man, having injured himself severely by smashing windows in a rage of fury, was arrested by the police. He died despite resuscitation attempts. The forensic autopsy showed many superficial skin lacerations, bruises and minor brain swelling, but there was no definitive cause of death. Toxicological analysis showed a high concentration of mephedrone in femoral blood (5.1mg/L) and traces of cocaine, MDMA and oxazepam. The remaining dose of mephedrone in the stomach contents was estimated at 113 mg. Tablets that were found in the house of the deceased also contained mephedrone. We attribute this man's death to a fatal oral intake of mephedrone, which probably led to a state of excited delirium. This was aggravated by blood loss from multiple wounds.     

Crime and mental disorders among native Dutch and ethnic minority juvenile defendants in the Netherlands

We examined the prevalence of mental disorders and the recommendations regarding criminal responsibility and treatment in pre-trial mental health evaluations requested by Dutch juvenile courts for youths between the ages of 12 to 17. Youths of native Dutch (n = 2694) and of ethnic minority background (n = 1393) were compared. The prevalence of mental disorders was similar for both groups (76.8% versus 74.4%). Criminal responsibility in native Dutch youth was more often considered ‘diminished’ or ‘strongly diminished’ than in ethnic minority youth. Admission to a juvenile institution was more often recommended for ethnic minority juveniles than for native Dutch juveniles. It remains unclear from our data whether these differences reflect a false stereotype of ethnic minority populations as being more dangerous and threatening.     

Regulating Dutch–Chinese marriages and relationships in the Netherlands (1920–1945)

ABSTRACT

This paper aims to contribute to The History of the Family by researching the historical relationship between family and state, and the roles that the concepts of 'race' and 'mixture' played. To this end, it analyzes the regulation of Chinese–Dutch marriages in the interwar period and Second World War in the Netherlands. It argues that the ways in which these interracial marriages were regulated were informed by colonial discourses on the Chinese as racialized others. This resulted in a systematic pattern of exclusion of Chinese migrants in the Netherlands, in which they were registered, fingerprinted, counted and deported. Part of these discourses focused on Chinese 'interracial' marriages with Dutch white women. This resulted in the 'regulation of mixture' in which state officials aimed to prevent such marriages, through migration law, document requirements and premarital counseling. During the war, these marriages were considered a 'racial shame' and relationships were broken up by arresting Chinese husbands before marriage. More research is needed to learn more about the extent of these practices and to know whether they were applied to racialized groups other than Chinese.     

The Dutch Disease: evidences from Russia

The present study examines whether the Russian economy exhibits the symptoms of the Dutch Disease over the transition period begun in the early 1990s. Five warning signs have been detected, namely, a real exchange rate appreciation (1); a flourishing economic situation pushed by higher oil prices (2); a relative de-industrialisation (3); an export reduction in the non-booming-sector (4) and a real wage growth (5). The first three symptoms are estimated simultaneously in a VECM dimension. The results suggest the existence of three long-run cointegrating vectors, thus confirming the presence of the first three symptoms. Specifically, a 10% oil price shock leads to a real appreciation by 4%, a rise in GDP by 3% and a decline in domestic manufacturing production vis-à-vis service production by another 3%. Finally, a number of manufacturing exports have been crowded out and real wages have recorded important increases. To a certain extent, this corroborates the presence of symptom 4 and 5. The paper concludes that the risk of the Dutch Disease exists, and two preventive thrusts of action could be undertaken to reduce its threat: namely to diversify the economy and to hold back the appreciation of the exchange rate through targeted fiscal and monetary policies. These instruments would render Russia less vulnerable to exogenous shocks.     

Non-treatment decisions on grounds of "medical futility" and "quality of life": interviews with fourteen Dutch neonatologists

This essay opens with background information about the concept of "medical futility" and the regulation of nontreatment decisions in Dutch neonatology. The regulations include a list of criteria for predicting the baby's future quality of life. The second part presents the findings from interviews with fourteen Dutch neonatologists on the mannerin which they apply the criteria in their practice.     

Governmental filtering of websites: The Dutch case

Following the example of Norway and other European Countries, such as Sweden and Denmark, in April 2007 the Dutch government started filtering and blocking web pages with child pornographic content. In this paper we present a research into the technological, legal and practical possibilities of this measure. Our study leads us to the conclusion that the deployment of filters by or on behalf of the Dutch government is not based on any founded knowledge concerning the effectiveness of the approach. Furthermore, the actions of the Dutch law enforcement authorities do not avail over legal powers to filter and block internet traffic. Consequently the Dutch filtering practice was found to be unlawful. The government could enact a law that provides the police with the relevant powers. However, child porn filters always cause a certain amount of structural overblocking, which means that the government is then engaged in structural blocking of information that is not against the law. This would be in conflict with basic rights as laid down in the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and in national legislation. Maintaining a blacklist that is serious in size (a necessary condition for being effective), and at the same time is up-to-date and error-free (which is needed to prevent overblocking), is very labour-intensive, if not impossible to maintain. From the Dutch national police policy perspective it follows that putting so much labour in maintaining a blacklist cannot be considered as a police task. Why then did the Dutch police start filtering? In a society where child pornography is judged with abhorrence, in which safety is rated higher then privacy, and in which managers and politicians frequently have a naive faith in technology, the advocates of internet filters against child pornography quickly find wide-spread support. Although this paper refers to the situation in The Netherlands, it includes a number of elements and issues that are relevant to other European States as well.