Although it ruled that there is no constitutional right to physician-assisted suicide, the Court in effect supported the medical principle of “double effect,” a centuries-old moral principle holding that an action having two effects — a good one that is intended and a harmful one that is foreseen — is permissible if the actor intends only the good effect..

　　参考译文

　　尽管法院裁决宪法没有赋予医生帮助病人自杀的权利,然而法院实际上支持的是医疗界的“双重效应”原则，这个存在了几个世纪历史的道德原则认为，如果某种行为具有双重效果，希望达到的良好效果和可以预见的不良后果，如者想达到好的效果，这个行为就是允许的。