Opinion of the Court
The CSA Does Not Allow the Attorney General to Prohibit Doctors From Assisting in Suicides.
Gonzales v. Oregon This case was granted certiorari on February 22, 2005, and was affirmed on January 17, 2006. In a 6-to-3 decision, the Court held that the attorney general exceeded his authority when he declared that physician-assisted suicide violates the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Featured in The Right to Die, Sup. Ct. Debates (Dec. 2005), p. 257.The following is excerpted from the summary of the majority opinion written by Justice Kennedy, as prepared by the Court Reporter of Decisions:The CSA does not allow the attorney general to prohibit doctors from prescribing regulated drugs for use in physician-assisted suicide…