A coalition of pro-life, medical, and religious organizations has filed an amicus brief with the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, urging the court to strike down Delaware’s End of Life Options Act (EOLOA), a law that permits physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients.
The CatholicVote.org Legal Fund partnered with Life Legal Defense Foundation to file the brief alongside Alliance Defending Freedom, the Catholic Medical Association, Christian Medical & Dental Association, Delaware Family Policy Council, and Delaware Right to Life, according to a March 11 press release from the organization. The organizations are asking the Third Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse the District Court’s decision and reaffirm constitutional protections for human life.
“Life is a fundamental, God-given right that must be protected by our laws and society,” Josh Mercer, vice president of CatholicVote.org Legal Fund, stated in the release. “The End of Life Options Act is a dangerous step that erodes the intrinsic value of human life, especially for the most vulnerable among us — the elderly, disabled, and terminally ill. We are proud to stand with our partners in urging the court to reverse this harmful legislation.”
The coalition argues that Delaware’s assisted suicide law undermines the government’s duty to protect life and violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s substantive and procedural due process protections.
Signed into law in May 2025, the EOLOA allows terminally ill adults to request and self-administer the drugs to end their lives. In their filing, the organizations contend that such laws contradict centuries of legal tradition safeguarding human life.
According to the brief, Anglo-American law has consistently criminalized assisted suicide and upheld the sanctity of life for nearly 1,400 years. The coalition says abandoning that legal foundation weakens longstanding protections for vulnerable individuals.
The filing also outlines what it describes as compelling state interests in banning assisted suicide, including preserving human life, preventing suicide, protecting vulnerable populations from coercion or abuse, and maintaining ethical standards within the medical profession.
The brief warns that jurisdictions that legalize assisted suicide often expand the practice over time. It cites developments in countries such as the Netherlands and Canada, where assisted suicide laws have broadened to include minors, individuals with mental illness, and patients who are not terminally ill.