Assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia Aside from the patients themselves, politicians, journalists and philosophers are taking the limelight to express their views. They demand that the law is relaxed in favour of allowing people the "right to die", or, at the very least, the freedom from potential prosecution of their relatives if they help them on their suicidal journeys. But amongst these vehement and polarised views, we need to elucidate the salient facts and the ethical issues.