Legal Definitions - euthanasia

Euthanasia refers to the deliberate act of ending a person's life to alleviate severe and incurable suffering. This action is typically taken when an individual is facing a terminal illness or an irreversible condition that causes profound pain or distress, with no hope of recovery. It is distinct from physician-assisted suicide, where a person takes their own life with medical guidance or means provided by a doctor.

Euthanasia can be categorized as voluntary, meaning the person explicitly requests and consents to the ending of their life, or non-voluntary, where the person is unable to provide consent due to their condition (e.g., being unconscious or lacking mental capacity), and the decision is made by a legal guardian or proxy based on the person's previously expressed wishes or their best interests.

• Example 1: Voluntary Euthanasia for Terminal Cancer

  A patient with end-stage pancreatic cancer, experiencing unbearable pain and organ failure, has repeatedly expressed a clear and informed wish to end their suffering. After meeting all legal and medical criteria in a jurisdiction where euthanasia is permitted, a physician administers a lethal dose of medication to peacefully end the patient's life.

  This illustrates voluntary euthanasia because the patient explicitly consented to the procedure, and the physician performed the direct act of ending life to relieve suffering from a terminal illness.

• Example 2: Non-Voluntary Euthanasia for an Infant with an Untreatable Condition

  A newborn is diagnosed with a severe and untreatable genetic disorder that causes constant, excruciating pain, profound organ failure, and a complete inability to thrive, with medical professionals confirming no hope of recovery or a life without immense suffering. After extensive ethical review and consultation, the child's legal guardians (parents) make the agonizing decision to allow medical staff to administer medication to gently end the infant's life, preventing further agony.

  This is an example of non-voluntary euthanasia as the infant cannot provide consent. The decision is made by the legal guardians to end life and prevent suffering from an incurable condition, with the act performed by medical staff.