Euthanasia

In capital punishment the execution of an individual is legalized by decree. Euthanasia, which is in simple terms, translates into ‘mercy killing,’ also has a basis. Religious institutions and orthodox people oppose this tooth and nail and the general public and law practitioners, the world over, oppose this since this may lead to bad practices getting a legal stamp.

Euthanasia is also a type of intentional killing like executing a person legally. On occasions, the individual may request for euthanasia, because of extreme suffering from much advanced stages of painful cancer or other diseases. The relatives of a person in coma or suffering from wasting diseases necessitating huge expenses may wish and ask for physician aided euthanasia.

Law experts and social workers caution that the law to allow euthanasia even under rigid or severe supervision may open up avenues for the misuse of it for personal gains.

The ‘Death with Dignity Act’ of Oregon is the one passed in the US, for legalizing assisted suicide. In Netherlands and Belgium they have passed laws allowing euthanasia, and one in an Australian region was repealed after sometime, during which four lives were honorably terminated.

Will calling it ‘assisted killing’ ‘voluntary election’ ‘through omission’ etc exempt euthanasia from being considered ‘killing’? The question looms large.

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