What does the Association ADMD-L stand for?

ADMD-L, Association pour le Droit de mourir dans la dignité - Letzebuerg” is an independent non-political, non-confessional body, defending the rights of every individual to determine his/her end of life treatment and wish for dying in dignity. Founded in 1988 by Dr Henri Clees, ADMDLcounts today some 900 members.

ADMD-L is of the opinion that euthanasia and palliative care can complement each other and advocates good palliative care for as far as this is available and asked for by the dying person, but refuses all unnecessary life-prolonging treatment for patients who suffer unbearably of an illness or injury from which there is no likelihood of recovery. These patients should be given the choice between :

• highly specialized palliative care and/or
• assisted dying through active euthanasia or medically assisted suicide

To this end, ADMD-L strongly advocates the signing of a Living Will , i.e.” Advance Directives”, a document in which the writer expresses his/her wishes as to the precise circumstances under which he/she accepts or refuses certain treatments, should he/she suffer a loss of mental capacity to consent or refuse the treatments as set down in the Living Will. - The Living Will can at any time be changed or revoked.

For 20 years, ADMD-L strongly supported the bill on euthanasia and assisted suicide, deposited in Parliament by Jean Huss and Lydie Err. The Law was voted in on March 16th, 2009,and declares that “ the physician who performs euthanasia is not performing an unlawful act if he/she complied with the conditions and procedures as stipulated by the law”.