Euthanasia outside Europe

Abstract

The passive form of euthanasia is legalized almost in every civilized country. Its active form is not a generally accepted legal institution. In Europe, active euthanasia is legalized only in The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland. In Australia, the Act on the Rights of the Terminally Ill of 1995 legalized the institution of assisted suicide, which is not identical to active euthanasia. The difference lies in the fact that legalized active euthanasia means that the author of a murder is not punishable (under certain circumstances), whilst assisted suicide is not about murder, rather about suicide. In the first case, the patient is killed on his or her request by someone else. In the second case, the patient himself or herself executes the act of self-killing (by the assistance of a healthcare worker). In Australia, the institution of assisted suicide was repealed in 1997. Assisted suicide is legal in four USA member states: in Vermont, Washington, Montana and Oregon. In Uruguay, the active form of euthanasia has been legal since 1932.

Aktív eutanázia vagy asszisztált öngyilkosság?

“…Az aktív eutanázia, illetve az asszisztált öngyilkosság mint egészségügyi szolgáltatás díját főszabály szerint a beteg fizeti, de a halálos gyógyszer költségét az állami egészségbiztosítás állja. A függetlenség további követel-ménye a tárgyilagos (szubjektivitástól mentes) döntés-hozatal [11].…”

Ethical issues when working with terminally ill people who desire to hasten the ends of their lives: a western perspective

“…Uruguay, however, introduced a Penal Code (1933) that made active euthanasia possible (Julesz, 2016) and Switzerland's Criminal Code (1937) The public's response to two unrelated, but highly emotional events that continue to crop up in debates about assisted suicide and euthanasia, however, dampened support for euthanasia ETHICAL ISSUES WHEN WORKING WITH TERMINALLY-ILL PEOPLE 7 in the 1940s. The first was the reaction against the movement that advocated for the "eugenical sterilization of ... potential parents carrying degenerate hereditary qualities" (Gejman & Weilbaecher, 2002, p. 227) that "... included the feeble-minded, insane ..., criminalistics ..., epileptic ... and dependent (including orphans, ne'er-do-wells, the homeless, tramps and paupers)" (p. 227).…”