Trenton, N.J., Aug 28, 2019 / 08:59 am
A New Jersey appeals court ruled Tuesday that the state's law permitting assisted suicide may take effect while a legal challenge against it is heard in court.
The ruling reversed a previous decision from a lower court that had halted the law.
The Medical Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act is being challenged by a physician who says that it is a violation of religious freedom protections in the U.S. Constitution and laws against suicide.
Dr. Yosef Glassman is an Orthodox Jew who says that he is opposed to facilitating suicide both due to his religious beliefs and his profession as a doctor. He also objects to the law's stipulation that a doctor who objects to assisted suicide must refer patients to another doctor who will help them end their life.