Demographic determinants of legal consciousness for euthanasia legalization in patients with polymorbidity and permanently diminished work capacity

Abstract

not been studied relevantly in Bulgaria, especially in its medical and legal aspects, and it requires the application of suitable tools for social and legal research into channeling the public reaction towards a certain legislative initiative, a particular legislative resolution and its result.Legal consciousness (LC) is a relatively new formal scientific concept. It is the link between the law and actual human behaviour, as it reflects legal reality and the rights and obligations contained in legal norms. The very norms are a 'carrier' of certain LC, both of lawmakers and of society, and this is reflected in the law making process as a synthesis of jus (law) and justum (justice) (6,15).The search for optimal authenticity in law making research requires that this is carried out amongst ABSTRACT PURPOSE: This study aims at studying the influence of demographic determinants on defining the legal consciousness for euthanasia legalization in patients with polymorbidity and permanently diminished work capacity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study sample includes 305 respondents certified by the General Medical Committee at St. Marina University Hospital of Varna as having polymorbidity and permanently diminished work capacity.RESULTS: There is a significant effect of respondent's demographic characteristics such as religious and gender, educational level and employment on three main components of legal consciousness -cognitive (legal information), psychological (evaluations, relations, values) and behavioural one (tendency for legally relevant behaviour) concerning euthanasia legalization. These results prove the need of preliminary investigation of the legal consciousness of target social groups prior to execution of legal changes concerning certain socially important issues like euthanasia.