Euthanasia And Its Morals And Values Amongst Society

Euthanasia is the practice of intentional homicide to relieve pain and suffering from the terminally ill. ‘Euthanasia’ translates from the Greek root words ‘Eu’ and ‘Thanatos’ meaning ‘a good death’. In modern times, euthanasia is deciphered as when person A ends the life of person B for person B’s sake. The life is taken for the sake of the person whose life it is (B) since they are in pain from an eternal or fatal sickness. This differentiates euthanasia from further methods of ending a life.

Euthanasia Laws in the Netherlands

Through my investigation of euthanasia, I have found that assisted suicide is different all over the world. In April 2002, the Netherlands was the first country to legalize euthanasia although it imposed strict rules; the patient must be either terminally ill-incurable, in unbearable pain, and their decision must be completely reliable. In other words, it must be done with full consciousness. This decision in the Netherlands sparked intense debate over controversial subjects all over the world. Should there be a ‘right’ to suicide?

Euthanasia Laws in Australia

In contrast, the Australian law of euthanasia Is illegal other than in Victoria, where is it permissible in limited circumstances. You must be a Victorian resident for 12 months before requesting euthanasia. The individual must make three requests one being in writing before being granted euthanasia. In Western Australia, euthanasia is expected to be introduced in mid-2021. If a doctor declines the request, they must immediately inform the patient and provide standardized information on accessing voluntary assisted dying.

In N.T, Euthanasia is cited as Northern Territory Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995. Although, there are conditions that apply; The patient must be over the age of 18, terminally ill, they require a doctor and psychiatrist to examine the patient, the patient must have a sound mind to consider the implications of the decision to the individual, their family, friends, etc. The decision must also be made voluntarily. Victoria Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017 says that any patient with less than six months to live has the right to end their life. This law had an 18th month implementation period and came into effect on June 19th, 2019. The Law in Queensland is that to be granted the injection, the patient must be diagnosed with a medical condition that is incurable, advanced, and will cause death.

Features of Euthanasia

Euthanasia is a highly debated topic as it is very controversial. The choice between life or death, the patient’s right to a living, and if the patient’s outlook is worthy of attending. There are four distinct forms of Euthanasia. Active euthanasia is when you deliberately end someone’s life. Passive euthanasia is removing something like life support to end life faster. Voluntary euthanasia is when an individual asked to be killed and involuntary euthanasia is like murder when the patient doesn’t ask to die. They might not be in a position to ask to die because of a terminal illness such as a coma.

Marshall Perron’s Proposal

The Father of the “right to die law” in Australia, Marshall Perron who is the Northern Territory chief minister, endorsed the world’s very first voluntary assisted dying law in 1995 that says it should be extended to chronically ill people whose life is unbearable.

Reasons for the Enactment of Euthanasia Laws in Australia

Euthanasia is the practice of intentional death. However, it is very different from suicide. Euthanasia is used to relieve pain and suffering from the terminally ill. There are four different types of euthanasia; active, passive, indirect, and physician-assisted suicide. Euthanasia is most of the time pain-free and easy which makes it a considerable option for those in anguish. The saying “putting one out of their misery” in fact, perfectly summarizes the purpose of euthanasia. Why should one be forced by another individual to live their life painfully? They should have the right to a simple, peaceful suicide if granted worthy of it. Unquestionably, they should have this right.

Conclusion

In essence, my findings and comparisons of euthanasia laws have demonstrated opinion, rights, and contributions of making life important decisions amongst Australians.