Top court rejects appeal by doctor over euthanasia of ALS patient

Japan’s top court rejected an appeal on Thursday 12th June by a doctor convicted of consensually killing a woman, Yuri Hayashi, 51, who had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a rare neurological disease also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, in 2019 in Kyoto, western Japan, finalizing his 18-year prison sentence. The Supreme Court's Second Petty Bench rejected arguments that found Yoshikazu Okubo, 47, guilty of aiding another's suicide would violate the constitutional right to self-determination. Episode notes: ‘Top court rejects appeal by doctor over euthanasia of ALS patient’: https://barrierfreejapan.com/2025/06/12/japans-top-court-rejects-appeal-by-doctor-over-euthanasia-of-als-patient/