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Legal Terms -Euthanasia
The act of terminating life to alleviate suffering. The term encompasses voluntary euthanasia, wherein an individual's life is terminated at their explicit request; non-voluntary euthanasia, applicable when a person cannot articulate their desires (e.g., an infant or an individual in a persistent vegetative state); and involuntary euthanasia, which occurs when a person is killed without their consent or that of any designated representative. Involuntary euthanasia is universally prohibited, but the legality of voluntary and non-voluntary euthanasia generally hinges on whether it is classified as passive or active. Euthanasia is predominantly unlawful and constitutes murder or aided suicide when active measures, such as drug administration, are employed to end life, regardless of the humane intent behind the action. Passive euthanasia, such as the cessation of life-sustaining therapy, is permissible if conducted in the patient's best interest (Airedale NHS Trust v Bland [1993] AC 78 (HL)).
The act of terminating life to alleviate suffering. The term encompasses voluntary euthanasia, wherein an individual's life is terminated at their explicit request; non-voluntary euthanasia, applicable when a person cannot articulate their desires (e.g., an infant or an individual in a persistent vegetative state); and involuntary euthanasia, which occurs when a person is killed without their consent or that of any designated representative. Involuntary euthanasia is universally prohibited, but the legality of voluntary and non-voluntary euthanasia generally hinges on whether it is classified as passive or active. Euthanasia is predominantly unlawful and constitutes murder or aided suicide when active measures, such as drug administration, are employed to end life, regardless of the humane intent behind the action. Passive euthanasia, such as the cessation of life-sustaining therapy, is permissible if conducted in the patient's best interest (Airedale NHS Trust v Bland [1993] AC 78 (HL)).
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