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euthanasia
law
Also known as: mercy killing
- Also called:
- mercy killing
- Key People:
- Jack Kevorkian
- Peter Singer
- Related Topics:
- homicide
- suicide
- physician-assisted suicide
- On the Web:
- Australian Human Rights Commission - Euthanasia, human rights and the law (Dec. 17, 2024)
euthanasia, act or practice of painlessly putting to death persons suffering from painful and incurable disease or incapacitating physical disorder or allowing them to die by withholding treatment or withdrawing artificial life-support measures. Because there is no specific provision for it in most legal systems, it is usually regarded as either suicide (if performed by the patient himself) or murder (if performed by another). Physicians may, however, lawfully decide not to prolong life in cases of extreme suffering, and they may administer drugs to relieve pain even if this shortens the patient’s life. In the late 20th century, several European ...(100 of 397 words)