Debate over euthanasia has resurfaced in Taiwan after opposition parties proposed a referendum and new legislation. Health Minister Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) told lawmakers Thursday that euthanasia involves fundamental rights to life and represents a major legal shift, warning it should not be reduced to a simple yes or no public vote. 

The discussion intensifies after Taiwan People’s Party founder Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) shared a case of a Taiwanese citizen traveling to Switzerland for assisted death. Lawmakers are now reviewing draft bills on a “Draft Act on Dignified End-of-Life” and a “Draft Euthanasia Act,” prompting renewed scrutiny in the Legislature’s Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee.

Shih said he personally opposes euthanasia as a physician but stressed that policymaking must focus on building a comprehensive system to ensure dignified end-of-life care. He noted that Taiwan already allows forms of passive euthanasia through the Hospice Palliative Care Act and the Patient Right to Autonomy Act, with more than 1.16 million and 155,000 participants respectively.

He outlined five major areas requiring consensus, including safeguards for patient autonomy, protection for vulnerable groups, strict eligibility criteria and oversight mechanisms. Shih said: “This includes, first, the design of the system: how to balance the patient’s full autonomy, the protection of vulnerable persons, and a consensus among medical professionalism and the public interest. Second, comprehensive safeguards are needed regarding eligible subjects, the assessment of suffering, mental capacity, and the confirmation of autonomous intent. Third, dual-physician confirmation of psychiatric and professional assessments, together with pre-approval review and post-implementation oversight mechanisms, must all uphold procedural justice, professional competence, and institutional efficiency.”