German doctors reject new draft bill on living wills for being too complicated

Hopes that a long awaited draft bill on living wills will soon be passed in Germany were dashed last month when a new draft was published that would not recognise existing living wills.

In 2003 the German Constitutional Court demanded a new law to clarify the use of living wills. However, the latest draft of the bill, which is supported by a group of MPs from four of the five parties in parliament, does not automatically accept people’s existing living wills. Instead, in contrast to a former draft drawn up in September 2007, the bill demands further conditions in certain cases, such as counselling from a doctor and the agreement of a …