Euthanasia now legal in Uruguay as Senate passes law, but assisted suicide still illegal

Scope of the law

The legislation permits euthanasia performed by a healthcare professional but not assisted suicide, where patients administer a lethal dose themselves. It places no time limit on life expectancy, unlike similar laws in the United States, Australia and New Zealand.

Anyone with an incurable illness causing “unbearable suffering” can request euthanasia, even if the illness is not terminal. Applicants must be mentally competent, with two doctors required to rule that they are psychologically fit enough to make the decision.

Today, a handful of countries have legalised assisted death. Countries such as Switzerland, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Columbia, Ecuador, New Zealand, Portugal and some others have legalised euthanasia in some form or the other.

Euthanasia and its forms

Euthanasia, derived from the Greek words meaning “a good death”, refers to the practice under which an individual intentionally ends their life. Euthanasia falls under the category of assisted dying, which also includes assisted suicide in some nations. The point of contention is contingent on the person who commits the act.

Euthanasia is when an individual ends another person’s life painlessly whereas under assisted suicide a physician assists a patient in ending their life usually by lethal injection. Euthanasia can be further categorised as active or passive. Active euthanasia involves an active intervention to end a person’s life with substances or external force, such as administering a lethal injection. Passive euthanasia refers to withdrawing life support or treatment that is essential to keep a terminally ill person alive.

(With inputs from AP)