Euthanasia legalised in the Netherlands

In a highly controversial end to an ongoing debate over euthanasia, the Netherlands has become the first nation to legalise mercy killing. The Dutch senate today voted 46-28, in favour of passing the bill to make mercy killing legal in the Dutch nation, in spite of thousands of protestors. The bill that had been in the offing since last November was finally approved, which essentially means that in case of terminally ill patients, Dutch doctors can decide when to put an end to their suffering. The law allows for the implementation of the act only if the patient so desires and has made his desire clear to the treating physician when he was in sound health – mental and physical. The government has assured that regional committees will be set up to ensure that these conditions are met. The law would also provide for the decision of voluntary death to be made by all individuals over the age of 16 years. Children between the age of 12 and 16 years can do so with the consent of their parents. The law will come into effect two weeks after Queen Beatrix signs the law, which will most probably be this summer. A section of the community believes that the law is not fool proof and can be misused. A psychiatric evaluation is necessary before a person opts for euthanasia. However, there is a chance that the evaluation is biased, since the psychiatrist's views may influence the decision. Also, the decision may not be accurate if the concerned patient is suffering from a mental disorder. Another potential danger is that the disease may not be terminal. To alleviate some of these effects, the Dutch law states that a second opinion will have to be taken before the decision is taken by the doctor concerned. A bill for mercy killing was previously passed by Oregon state (USA) but was more limiting than the Dutch law. Australia's Northern Territory had also introduced the law in 1996, but it was repealed a year later. The law has been welcomed by most Dutch residents. They hope that legalising euthanasia will clear a non-distinct area of law regarding the possibility of doctors being prosecuted for murder.

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